Countdown to Mars! NASA's Perseverance Rover Launch Live Shots

NASA’s Perseverance Launches THIS WEEK On Epic Journey To The Red Planet
Join NASA As We Count Down To The Next Great Adventure To Mars

For decades now, NASA has been sending robotic emissaries to explore the planet Mars. The spectacular success of past missions has proved that Mars was once like our own planet Earth, with oceans and lakes, a thick atmosphere; in short, a good place to get life started. Our most recent rover, Curiosity, answered many profound questions about Mars, but each time a question gets answered, many more questions get opened up. Now we are anticipating the launch of the next mission to Mars, this one called Perseverance.

NASA scientists and engineers are available virtually for live or taped interviews on Wednesday, July 29th, 6:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT and again from 3:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. EDT - and - Thursday July 30th, from 4:45 a.m. – 7:30 a .m. EDT - just before launch - to tell your viewers when they can watch the launch and talk about NASA’s next great adventure to Mars.

Perseverance is the most robust rover ever to be sent to the Red Planet. It will take the next step in Mars exploration by seeking to answer the question: Are there any signs that life once existed on Mars? The rover will also be the first to gather and store samples of Martian rocks and soil for future return to Earth, and test important technology for future human exploration of Mars. Perseverance will also have a sidekick: the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, a separate technology experiment that will be the first helicopter to attempt to fly on another planet.

Perseverance is launching with nearly 11 million names stenciled on it. This time last year, NASA put a call out for people to submit their name to be sent to Mars and got submissions from all over the world.

To Schedule an interview: https://forms.gle/yqX4pvyRCCLk6RmUA
* Interviews will be conducted using video chat programs including Skype in 15-minute slots. For example 600-615 ET, 615-630 ET, etc. Satellite interviews are not available.

NASA scientists and engineers available for interviews:
Moo Stricker/ Lead for Spacecraft Cleanliness
Zach Ousnamer / Mechatronics Engineer Who Helped Build the Rover
Diana Trujillo/ Engineer Who Works on the Robotic Arm and Testing for Surface Operations
Rebekah Sosland Siegfriedt/ Systems Engineer for Testing Rover Before Launch and Operating on the Martian Surface
Swati Mohan / Engineer on the Landing Team for Mars 2020 Perseverance Mission
Katie Stack Morgan / Deputy Project Scientist
Ken Farley / Project Scientist

Spanish Interviews are available

Questions? Please email:


Suggested questions
1. It’s not every day that you can say we’re getting ready to launch a rover to another planet! Tell us about this very exciting mission that’s launching and what makes it different from previous Mars missions?
2. Tell us about where Perseverance is going to land. Why is this crater special?
3. What do you personally think is the coolest part of the Perseverance mission?
4. Sending a car-sized rover to another planet that’s more than 65 million miles away is no easy task. Can you talk about the things that make this journey so difficult?
5. How does this mission help set the stage for future human missions to Mars?
6. I hear the rover also has a sidekick. Can you tell us what Ingenuity is and what it's trying to test for the first time?
7. Where can people learn more and stay up to date on this mission?

Suggested Anchor Intro:
WAS THERE EVER LIFE ON MARS? IT’S A QUESTION THAT HAS INTRIGUED US FOR CENTURIES. TOMORROW/LATER THIS MORNING, NASA WILL LAUNCH A NEW ROVER TO THE RED PLANET TO TAKE A STEP TOWARD ANSWERING THAT QUESTION. SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT ANCIENT MARS WAS WARMER, AND HAD RIVERS AND OCEANS. BUT DID IT ONCE HARBOR LIFE? TODAY WE HAVE NASA SCIENTIST/OR ENGINEER…..TO TALK ABOUT THIS EXCITING MISSION TO THE RED PLANET... AND WHAT WE HOPE TO DO THERE.