By Penny Starr
https://www.breitbart.com/author/penny-starr/
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will launch a rocket on Thursday morning to Mars on a mission that will include deploying a rover, a helicopter, and collecting samples that scientists hope may show signs of life on the red planet.
“I’m exceptionally excited about what we’re about to do because we’re going to launch Mars 2020 with the Perseverance robot,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said at Wednesday’s briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center. “But there is so much more going on here. 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.”
“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.”
“NASA Television and the agency’s website will provide live launch coverage tomorrow morning, starting at 7,” the NASA website said of the launch. “Stay tuned as the mission eclipses multiple milestones — including stage separation, main engine cutoff, and spacecraft separation — or follow along at blogs.nasa.gov/Mars2020.”
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/07/29/nasa-ready-for-thursday-rocket-launch-to-mars-all-american-historic-trip-to-red-planet/