How to Watch a Live NASA Rover Launch
Considering how well things are going on Earth lately, sending a robotic vehicle into space to survey Mars is an even more intriguing idea than usual. As of today, it looks like tomorrow’s launch of NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is one of the few trips that haven’t been canceled this summer. Whether you’re in space or just want to watch something new, here’s how to watch this event live.
How to see the rover launch
The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is due to launch tomorrow morning from Cosmodrome 41 at the nearby Air Force station at Cape Canaveral in Florida. The two-hour launch window begins at 7:50 am EST, although the live stream starts at 7 AM EST, according to NASA .
While the launch may end with a TV show, your best bet is to schedule your webcast through NASA Live, their official live streaming service .
Social media events
In addition to giving people the opportunity to watch the rover launch live, NASA has also hosted a number of social media events and activities using the #CountdownToMars hashtag. While there are several different elements (like learning tools and a Mars photo booth ), the main feature is a Facebook group that is open to any social media user.
According to NASA,participants in the #CountdowntoMars social media event will have the opportunity to:
- Connect virtually with like-minded space enthusiasts while we #CountdownToMars
- Get a NASA Social badge to share online or print at home.
- Virtual tour of NASA facilities at the Kennedy Space Center.
- Interact with NASA team members in real time
- Watch the launch of the Atlas V rocket that will send Perseverance to Mars
Tomorrow’s launch is the latest example of our longstanding passion for the Red Planet. As Lifehacker Mark Harzman, author of The Big Book of Mars: From Ancient Egypt to the Martian, told Lifehacker Deep Space Dive Into Our Red Planet Obsession :
“For millennia, we humans have been asking the same questions. Where do we come from? Is there anyone else there? Until a century ago, scientists believed that intelligent Martians were trying to contact us. They were wrong, but given that Mars is our closest neighbor, this is our best chance to find answers to these age-old questions. The Perseverance rover will continue to search for evidence of ancient life in Jezero Crater. Will he find anything? And if so, what does this mean about the origin and spread of life throughout the universe? How special are we? “
Those questions won’t be answered tomorrow, but it might be worth setting an alarm to watch the launch on NASA’s YouTube channel starting at 7 a.m. EST.