NASA re-establishes communication with Perseverance rover following a signal loss just two hours after it launched for Mars - and officials say 'all signs point to good health'

NASA's Perseverance rover went dark just a few hours after its successful launch to Mars, but officials established telemetry lock with the rover after reworking their ground systems.
Matt Wallace, NASA's deputy project manager, said: 'All signs point to good health.'
'Perseverance's signal is extremely strong, and a bit overwhelming for the Deep Space Network's sensitive receiver.'
NASA officials confirmed that the signal loss was due to the rover entering safe mode as a result of unexpected cold temperatures hitting the craft as it traveled through deep space. 
'An interplanetary launch is fast-paced and dynamic, so a spacecraft is designed to put itself in safe mode if its onboard computer perceives conditions are not within its preset parameters,' NASA officials wrote in the statement. 
'Right now, the Mars 2020 mission is completing a full health assessment on the spacecraft and is working to return the spacecraft to a nominal configuration for its journey to Mars.' 
The issue arose about an hour after Perseverance sent an acquisition signal back to Earth, providing communication with NASA and officially marking the start of interplanetary travel. 
Perseverance took off from Cape Canaveral Florida aboard a United Launch Alliances Atlas V rocket at 7:50am ET to embark on its 314 million mile journey to Mars
Perseverance took off from Cape Canaveral Florida aboard a United Launch Alliances Atlas V rocket at 7:50am ET to embark on its 314 million mile journey to Mars
NASA hit a bump just a few hours after launching its Perseverance rover to Mars - it lost the craft's signal in deep space. However, the American space agency announced it established telemetry lock with the rover and should be able to verify the systems condition shortly
NASA hit a bump just a few hours after launching its Perseverance rover to Mars - it lost the craft's signal in deep space. However, the American space agency announced it established telemetry lock with the rover and should be able to verify the systems condition shortly 

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstein shared the communication problem during a post launch conference: 'The space craft right now is in deep space, it is a good distance from the Earth, but it is not the distance that we would normally be receiving from using the deep space network.'
'What this does it puts us in a position where the carrier wave, we have a strong signal, but we haven't been able to lock on to the modulator of that signal to receive the data.'
'This is not unusual, everything is going according to plan. We do need to find tune our receiving stations on the ground to capture that receiving signal and lock on.
'But I think we are in great shape.' 
Perseverance took off from  Cape Canaveral Florida aboard a United Launch Alliances Atlas V rocket at 7:50am ET to embark on its 314 million mile journey to Mars.
The six-wheeled vehicle, which is the same size as a large car, is also accompanied by an autonomous four pound (1.8kg) helicopter called Ingenuity which will study Mars's atmosphere.  
Pictured, the moment the Atlas rocket launched from Cape Canaveral exactly on time. It will now go through space and arrive at Mars in February
Pictured, the moment the Atlas rocket launched from Cape Canaveral exactly on time. It will now go through space and arrive at Mars in February  
Pictured, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover onboard launches from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Pictured, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover onboard launches from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Perseverance sent an acquisition signal back to Earth that established communication with NASA and informed the ground team it is officially on the way to Mars
Perseverance sent an acquisition signal back to Earth that established communication with NASA and informed the ground team it is officially on the way to Mars
The rover is due to land on February 18, 2021 at the base of an 820-foot-deep (250 meters) crater called Jezero, a former lake which was home to water 3.5 billion years ago.  
It will drill into Mars and collect geological specimens that will be cached across the planet and retrieved by a follow up mission around 2031. 
The initial launch date was July 17 and it was pushed back three times for various reasons before the agency settled on today as an ideal opportunity to launch.
Ideal weather conditions saw the launch go off without a hitch.

'The public wants to see the US and our international partners do stunning things and we have a history of doing amazing things in the  most challenging times,' Bridenstine said shortly before take-off. 
'This is no different. We can only go to Mars once every 26 months when literally the planets are aligned and. if we missed this launch window, it would cost us half a billion dollars to store this vehicle for the next two years.' 
An hour after launch, the spacecraft carrying Perseverance and Ingenuity successfully separated from the Atlas 5 rocket's Centaur upper stage.
Pictured is the acquisition signal sent to NASA on Earth from Perseverance
Pictured is the acquisition signal sent to NASA on Earth from Perseverance
Lift-off! The rocket launched exactly on time at 7:50am local time due to clear skies and no weather issues 
NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover will be able to study, analyze and even collect samples of rock and soil from the Red Planet to search for signs of ancient life. It also has a weather station, surface radar and panoramic camera onboard
NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover will be able to study, analyze and even collect samples of rock and soil from the Red Planet to search for signs of ancient life. It also has a weather station, surface radar and panoramic camera onboard
The mission's name was originally Mars 2020 but was renamed with the moniker Perseverance, following a contest that invited children to choose the official name.
This title is increasingly apt and has taken on added meaning in the last few months, according to NASA officials, who say COVID-19 presented new hurdles.
NASA has been gearing up for this mission for years and over the past few months it was looking grim for the American space agency.  
The coronavirus pandemic meant NASA scientists had to work in smaller teams, with some working from home, to meet the strict launch window deadline.
Thursday's control room looked very different from previous launches - staff were wearing masks and sat spaced out to abide by social distancing policies.
The virus also kept hundreds of scientists and other employees home during the historic launch. 

An hour after launch, the spacecraft carrying Perseverance and Ingenuity successfully separated from the Atlas 5 rocket's Centaur upper stage
An hour after launch, the spacecraft carrying Perseverance and Ingenuity successfully separated from the Atlas 5 rocket's Centaur upper stage
Crowds watched the NASA launch  atCherie Down Park in Cape Canaveral, Florida, which gave them a great view of the event
Crowds watched the NASA launch  atCherie Down Park in Cape Canaveral, Florida, which gave them a great view of the event 
The original scheduled launch day was July 17, but due to ground system equipment problems involving a faulty crane the team pushed it to July 20 and then again to July 22.
The push to July 30 was 'due to launch vehicle processing delays in preparation for spacecraft mate operations,' after an issue arose with a liquid oxygen sensor during a dress rehearsal for the launch, NASA said.
Had today's launch been pushed back, NASA would have only had two weeks before Mars and Earth are no longer aligned in a way that makes the mission possible, meaning the launch would have been postponed until 2022. 
'This is the ninth time we've landed on Mars, so we do have experience with it,' Bridenstine said yesterday.  
'This is the first time in history where we're going to Mars with an explicit mission to find life on another world — ancient life on Mars.'
 The view from the ground at Cape Canaveral as the NASA rocket carrying Perseverance launches into space and obscures the early morning sun in Florida 
NASA has sent its Perseverance rover to Mars (pictured is a model of the robot). The six-wheeled vehicle is currently at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida as it waits to for its 314 million mile journey to the Red Planet
NASA has sent its Perseverance rover to Mars (pictured is a model of the robot). The six-wheeled vehicle is currently at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida as it waits to for its 314 million mile journey to the Red Planet
Pictured, the flightpath of Perseverance. This illustration shows how the rover will reach the red planet and each TCM is a trajectory correction maneuvers where NASA will tweak the flight path to ensure the mission is on course
Pictured, the flightpath of Perseverance. This illustration shows how the rover will reach the red planet and each TCM is a trajectory correction maneuvers where NASA will tweak the flight path to ensure the mission is on course 
The rover stands seven feet tall, is nine feet wide, weighs 2,260 pounds and relies on Curiosity's blueprint but has been tailored to be adept at collecting geological samples.
It is powered by a nuclear battery which consists of 10.6 pounds of plutonium in a container roughly the size of a bucket. 
The plutonium provides 2,000 watts of thermal power and will last for around 14 years.  
Perseverance will hunt for 'biosignatures' of past microbial life and the rock samples will be picked up by another mission in 2026.
The rover will drill into the dusty surface and gather material into titanium, germ free tubes that will be placed in the vehicle's belly – there are a total of 43 tubes to fill.
NASA aims to gather at least 20 samples with a variety of material that can be brought back to Earth for further analysis.
NASA has teamed up with the European Space Agency for the follow up mission that would send two or more spacecraft in 2026.
'In 2026, we're going to launch a mission from Earth to Mars to go pick up those samples and bring them back to Earth,' Bridenstine said.
'For the first time in history, we're doing a Mars sample return mission.'
To do this, a secondary goal of Perseverance is to investigate if materials found on Mars can be utilized to facilitate return missions.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine stands next to a replica of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover during a press conference ahead of the launch
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine stands next to a replica of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover during a press conference ahead of the launch
Only eight missions have been able to descend to Mars, a feat that has been described as ‘seven minutes of terror.’ If the rover is able to make a successful landing, it will travel to Jezero Crater, which scientists speculate was once home to a lake 3.5 billion years ago
Only eight missions have been able to descend to Mars, a feat that has been described as 'seven minutes of terror.' If the rover is able to make a successful landing, it will travel to Jezero Crater, which scientists speculate was once home to a lake 3.5 billion years ago

This task is called the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) and is preparing for human exploration of Mars.
One MOXIE goal is to conduct an experiment to convert elements of the carbon dioxide-rich Martian atmosphere into rocket fuel.
NASA is also looking ahead to future crewed missions to Mars and will use Perseverance's in-built laboratory features to see if breathable oxygen can be created from natural Martian resources.
Once the first pieces of Mars land on Earth, which is expected to happen in 2031, scientists will cut the slabs into thin sheets of rock in order to determine if individual microbial cells are hiding in the samples.
Perseverance is also fitted with other instruments, including advanced cameras, radar, and a laser.
The rover will use its high-powered laser, called SuperCam, at the top of its mast to shoot high-energy pulses capable of vaporizing rocks up to 20 feet away.
The laser beam heats the target to 18,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to transform the solid rock into plasma that can be imaged by a camera for further analysis.
This instrument will help researchers identify minerals that are beyond the reach of the rover's robotic arm or in areas too steep for the rover to go.
Although the rover is very similar in design to Curiosity, it has a new array of sensors and equipment, including, for the first time, microphones.
These will record what the entry, descent and landing sounds like, as well as revealing any noises on the surface of Mars.
NASA has sent a number of orbiters to Mars, which allowed them to find Perseverance’s target – the 28-mile Jezero Crater (pictured)
NASA has sent a number of orbiters to Mars, which allowed them to find Perseverance's target – the 28-mile Jezero Crater (pictured)
The prized rover is not making the journey alone – it will be accompanied by a helicopter named Ingenuity. NASA is comparing this mission 'to the Wright brothers moment,' as it will be the first time in history an aerial vehicle has flown on another world
The prized rover is not making the journey alone – it will be accompanied by a helicopter named Ingenuity. NASA is comparing this mission 'to the Wright brothers moment,' as it will be the first time in history an aerial vehicle has flown on another world

One of the most complex maneuvers in Perseverance's journey will be what mission engineers call the 'seven minutes of terror'.
This is when the robot endures extreme heat and velocity as it descends through the Martian atmosphere before landing.
It will deploy a set of supersonic parachutes before igniting mini rocket engines to slow its approach and hopefully gently touch down on the planet's surface.
It is the latest launch from Earth to Mars during a busy month of July, following probes sent by the United Arab Emirates and China.
The recent spate of launches to Mars is because astronomers are keen to take advantage of a rare alignment in the orbits of Earth and Mars which makes the red planet relatively close and accessible for a period of a few weeks.
The United States has plans to send astronauts to Mars in the 2030s under a program that envisions using a return to the moon as a testing platform for human missions before making the more ambitious crewed journey to Mars.
Matt Wallace, the Mars 2020 mission's deputy project manager at JPL, said: 'We're doing transformative science.'
'Really, for the first time, we're looking for signs of life on another planet, and for the first time we're going to collect samples that we hope will be part of the first sample return from another planet.'
The Jezero crater has been identified as an ideal landing site because of what astronomers have found out about its past.
The massive crater is said to have flowed with water and is littered with carbonates and hydrated silica.
Carbonates located in the crater's inner rim have been found to survive in fossils on Earth for billions of years and hydrated silica was discovered in the delta that is known for its ability to preserve biosignatures.
NASA is sending the Ingenuity helicopter along for the ride alongside Perseverance and it is tasked with investigating Mars's atmosphere.
The copter will fly at an altitude that is similar to 100,000 feet on Earth, allowing it to gather geology data in areas the rover is unable to travel.
This exceptional height is made possible due to the thin atmosphere on Mars, which is just 1/1,000 as thick as Earth's.
Its two levels of blades will rotate in opposite directions at up to 2,400 rpm.  
This will be the first time a terrestrial helicopter has not only flown at such altitudes, but also the first time it will take flight on another planet.
'Since the Wright brothers first took to the skies of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, December 17, 1903, first flights have been important milestones in the life of any vehicle designed for air travel,' NASA said in a statement.
Speaking at Wednesday's press conference, Bridenstine said: 'Ingenuity is going to transform how we think about exploring worlds in the future.'    
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