The launch of Mars2020 was eagerly awaited by the scientific community and in particular by the teams of the Laboratory for Space Studies and Instrumentation in Astrophysics (LESIA) of the Paris Observatory - PSL who developed a compact infrared spectrometer and played a key role in the development of the SuperCam instrument.
The Perseverance landing is scheduled for 18 February 2021, in the Jezero crater.
The rover will explore the geological, mineralogical and chemical remains of the lake it sheltered and the rivers that fed it. By studying these remains, Perseverance will characterize the geochemical environment that saw the birth of the lake, look for possible traces of past life and take samples that will be brought back to Earth around 2030.
Mars2020 will also prepare for human exploration of Mars.