KEY POINTS

  • The Perseverance rover passed its Flight Readiness Review on Wednesday
  • Next week, it will undergo a final review before getting approved for launch
  • The team is continuously monitoring the spacecraft to make sure it's ready to launch

NASA's Perseverance rover mission has passed another milestone before launch next week. According to the team, everything is looking good so far.

With just about a week before the launch window opens and its long journey to Mars begins, NASA's Perseverance rover has passed its Flight Readiness Review on Wednesday, July 22, during which the Mars 2020 team and launch provider United Launch Alliance reported on the readiness of the spacecraft.

The entire team behind the mission is still continuously monitoring the spacecraft to make sure that it is, indeed, ready for the long journey.

"We're pleased to be passing another milestone with the completion of the Flight Readiness Review," the mission's deputy project manager, Matt Wallace of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), said in a news release. "But we'll keep our heads down through the final prelaunch activities and the opening of the launch window next week, until we're certain this spacecraft is safely on its way. Mars is a tough customer, and we don't take anything for granted."

The spacecraft is scheduled for a last major review Monday, July 27, before getting the final approval to launch, the window for which opens on July 30 at 7:50 a.m. EDT.

For now, the spacecraft and booster are still undergoing rigorous testing and systems check. Once it launches, the spacecraft will take a months-long journey to the Red Planet where the rover will fulfil its mission of finding signs of ancient life.

Although it was not an easy journey for the mission, especially with the various setbacks that caused the launch to be pushed back several times, the rover and the teams behind it are living up to the name "Perseverance" by pushing through despite the challenges.

"Our deepest thanks go to the many teams who have worked so hard to get Perseverance ready to fly during these challenging times," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said. "This mission is emblematic of our nation's spirit of meeting problems head-on and finding solutions together. The incredible science Perseverance will enable and the bold human missions it will help make possible are going to be inspirations for us all."

Perseverance Rover
Image: The nose cone containing the Mars Perseverance Rover at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on July 7, 2020. NASA/KSC
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