NASA launches Mars 2020 self-propelled vehicle, preparing for a human mission

Scientists from the US space agency (NASA) say that the Mars 2020 self-propelled robot will not only look for traces of ancient life but also pave the way for missions that involve people in Mars in the future.

According to AFP news agency, NASA on December 27 introduced the 2020 Mars self-driving car, the official name will be named next year.

NASA unveiled the Mars 2020 self-propelled (robot) car on December 27, 2019 in a large, sterile room - (Image: AFP)

The first successful test of the autopilot and navigation of the autonomous vehicle just took place last week.

NASA believes that the car will leave Earth in July 2020 at Cape Canaveral, Florida and to the Red Planet 7 months later. Mars 2020 self-propelled vehicle will be the fifth US aircraft to land on Mars.

"Vehicles are designed to look for signs of life, so we put in many different tools to help understand the geological and chemical processes on the surface of Mars" - said Matt Wallace, deputy administrator project manager Mars 2020, said.

Among the self-propelled vehicle tools are 23 cameras, two "ears" that help the car hear the sound of the wind on Mars and lasers for chemical analysis.

The Mars 2020 self-propelled vehicle is about the size of a car, and also has six wheels like the "Curiosity predecessor" to be able to overcome any terrain on the surface of Mars.

Curiosity's predecessor on the surface of Mars - (Image: AFP)

After collecting rock, water, and air samples, Mars 2020 will seal these samples and leave them on the surface of Mars. Another mission by NASA in 2026 will bring these samples back to Earth for scientists to conduct research.

"What we are looking for is the life of ancient bacteria. We are talking about billions of years ago on Mars when the planet was more Earth-like now," said Wallace.

In order to maximize the chance of finding ancient traces of life, Mars 2020 will land in a Jezero region . The site, chosen after much scientific controversy, was a crater and was once a very deep lake.

Jezero formerly belonged to a network of rivers that flowed 3.5 to 3.9 billion years ago.

In addition to the task of finding ancient signs of life, Mars 2020 carries with it a greater ambition than being prepared for the human mission on the Red Planet.

It is expected that Mars 2020 will operate at least one year on Mars, or about 2 years on Earth. However, self-propelled robots that discover Mars are more likely to "live" longer than scientists expect them to. For example, Curiosity, which landed on Mars in 2012, is still moving around the Sharp Mountains.

An autonomous vehicle device "will allow us to produce oxygen" that could one day be used to help people breathe on Mars.

The race into space is heating up as Beijing is competing and threatening Washington's space dominance.

Also on December 27, China launched one of the world's most powerful rockets to prepare for its own mission to Mars next year.