GEEK LIKE ME, THIS MISSION IS
FOR YOU.
IT’LL TAKE MORE THAN SIX MONTHS
TO GET THERE, BUT NASA’S NEXT
GENERATION OF MARS ROVERS, THIS
ONE NAMED PERSEVERANCE, A LIKE A
ROVER ON STEROIDS.
SELF-DRIVING AND MAPPING,
EQUIPPED WITH MICROPHONES SO HUMANS CAN LISTEN TO THE MARTIAN
HUMANS CAN LISTEN TO THE MARTIAN
SURFACE, 19 CAMERAS, THEN RADAR,
SPECK
.
THE COOLEST FEATURE OF ALL, A
MINIATURE HELICOPTER NAMED
INGENUITY, THE FIRST AIRCRAFT TO
TAKE OFF AND LAND ON ANOTHER
PLANET FOR AERIAL SURVEYS.
THE HELICOPTER PROJECT MANAGER.
DID YOU HAVE TO ASK THE MARTIANS
FOR A PILOTS LICENSE AND MARTIAN
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL.
>> I THINK THEY’LL WELCOME US.
IT SHOULD BE AN EXCITING EVENT
ON MARS.
>> Reporter: THE CHALLENGE THE
THIN MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE IS ONLY
1% OF OUR ATMOSPHERE.
THEY BUILT A CHOPPER WEIGHING
JUST FOUR POUNDS WITH TWO ROW
TARS SPINNING EIGHT TIMES FASTER
THAN A HELICOPTER ON EARTH.
IT WILL FLY JUST 15 FEET OFF THE
GROUND.
>> THERE ARE SIMPLY PLACES WE
CAN’T GET TO TODAY WITH JUST
ROVERS.
NOR EVEN, YOU KNOW, HUMANS.
SIDES OF STEEP CLIFFS, STEEP
CREVASSES WE CAN’T GET TO.
SO BEING ABLE TO FLY IS WHAT’S
IMPORTANT.
>> Reporter: THE ROVER ITSELF
WILL LAND IN A CRATER ONCE AN
ANCIENT LAKE.
THE BEST PLACE TO SEARCH FOR
MICROBEIAL LIFE ON MARS.
>> SO WE FIND EVIDENCE THAT
THERE WAS LIFE ON THE SURFACE.
IT IS BELOW THE SURFACE WHERE IT
IS WARMER AND WE WOULD EXPECT
THAT THERE WOULD BE LIQUID
WATER.
>> Reporter: AND A BRADY BUNCH
STYLE INTERVIEW, WE TALKED TO
THE NASA TEAM MAKING IT ALL
HAPPEN.
EVEN AS COVID HAS ASKED MANY TO
WORK FROM HOME.
>> IT’S EVEN PUT ANOTHER PLAYERL
OF EXCITEMENT AND CHALLENGES FOR
OUR TEAM TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE
BUILD ROVERS, A LOT OF US WITH
CHILDREN IN OUR LAPS AND OTHER
THINGS AT HOME.
AND SO IT’S BEEN A BIG CHALLENGE
BUT REALLY EXCITING.
>> Reporter: NASA’S ULTIMATE
GOAL PUTTING HUMANS BACK ON THE
MOON BY 2024.
THEN USE A LUNAR BASE TO LAUNCH
MISSIONS TO MARS.
AMONG THE EXPERIENCE ON THIS
UNMANNED MARTIAN MISSION TURNING
CARBON DIE ISOXIDE INTO OXYGEN.
>> WE WANT TO PUT AN AMERICAN
FLAG ON MARS SO WE’RE BUILDING
THE TOOLS TO GO TO ANOTHER WORLD
SUSTAINABLY.
IN OTHER WORDS, TO STAY.
>> Reporter: PRETTY COOL STUFF.
WE WOULD LIKE TO PUT PEOPLE ON
MARS IN THE MID-2030s.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT THIS, GET THE KIDS
INTERESTED, THEY HAVE A
FANTASTIC WEBSITE.
MARS 2020 WITH NASA.
YOU CAN EVEN PRINT A BOARDING
PASS TO GO TO MARS.
PRETTY COOL STUFF.
>> THAT’S REALLY FUN.
TOM, ELSEWHERE IN SPACE, WE’RE
GETTING AN UNPRECEDENTED LOOK AT
SATURN.
THAT’S MY DAUGHTER’S FAVORITE
PLANET.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US?
>> OTHER SPACE NEWS THIS
MORNING, TAKE A LOOK AT THE
PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN ON JULY 4th
FROM THE HUBBLE TELESCOPE
LOOKING AT SATURN AND THE RINGS
CHANGING COLOR.
THIS IS SUMMER RIGHT NOW IN THE
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE OF SATURN.
YOU SEE STORMS RAGING.
BY THE WAY, THE SOUTHERN
HEMISPHERE, A DARKER HUE OF
BLUE.
IT’S WINTER THERE.
I HAVE A BIT OF BAD NEWS ABOUT
SATURN.
THE RINGS ARE DISAPPEARING.
THEY’RE BEING PULLED -- THE
GRAVITATIONAL FORCES OF SATURN
PULLING THE RINGS IN.
SO WE’VE ONLY GOT 300 MILLION
YEARS TO TAKE THIS VIEW IN.
>> YOU KNOW, FIRST YOU TAKE
PLUTO AWAY, NOT A PLANET
ANYMORE.
NOW YOU’RE TELLING ME THE RINGS
ARE DISAPPEARING?
>> Reporter: YEAH, I KNOW.
YOU CAN SEE PLUTO AT DISNEY
WORLD WHENEVER YOU WANT.
>> TOM, THANK YOU SO MUCH.