NASA's Perseverance Rover Spacecraft Put in Launch Configuration

Engineers working on NASA's Perseverance rover mission at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida have begun the process of placing the Mars-bound rover and other spacecraft components into the configuration they'll be in as they ride on top of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The launch period for the mission opens on July 17 - just 70 days from now.

Called "vehicle stacking," the process began on April 23 with the integration of the rover and its rocket-powered descent stage. One of the first steps in the daylong operation was to lift the descent stage onto Perseverance so that engineers could connect the two with flight-separation bolts.

When it's time for the rover to touch down on Mars, these three bolts will be released by small pyrotechnic charges, and the spacecraft will execute the sky crane maneuver: Nylon cords spool out through what are called bridle exit guides to lower the rover 25 feet (7.6 meters) below the descent stage. Once Perseverance senses it's on the surface, pyrotechnically-fired blades will sever the cords, and the descent stage flies off. The sky crane maneuver ensures Perseverance will land on the Martian surface free of any other spacecraft components, eliminating the need for a complex deployment procedure.

NASA's Perseverance Rover Spacecraft Put in Launch Configuration

So far, so good. The virus hasn't stopped NASA's new Mars rover. A lot of the work is done in clean rooms, that has to help.


The rover has been stuffed into the back shell. This is the part under the heat shield that helps protect the rover.image source

Looking under the back shell.image source

The rocket-powered descent stage with the rover secured underneath.image source

Some pretty impressive tech, IMO.

a reply to: LookingAtMars


I've noticed an increase in UFO and space-related articles recently. The CIA posted a link to a blog post about UFOs, the Pentagon declassified videos showing UFOs, and subjects like the Space Force, Majestic Twelve and Operation Bluebeam are gaining more attention. At this point, it should be safe to assume that further declass is coming in the future and we're slowly being prepared for that.

a reply to: Anon283799

At this point, it should be safe to assume that further declass is coming

Are you talking about Mars or just in general?

I think NASA will at least find bio-signatures on Mars this time around.

originally posted by: LookingAtMars
a reply to: Anon283799

At this point, it should be safe to assume that further declass is coming

Are you talking about Mars or just in general?

I think NASA will at least find bio-signatures on Mars this time around.

Both. I also think that they will find (and share with the public) something significant on Mars and as that happens, it will connect the dots and reveal even more information about other planets, galaxies, extraterrestrial life, etc. I'm very excited about that.

a reply to: LookingAtMars

Good news , nice to see something the virus hasn't effected.

Fingers crossed for a safe launch.

a reply to: gortex


The Martian photography always reminds me of a Rorschach test.
With all that foil you can't tell the motor from a 1962 Signet engine.

originally posted by: Anon283799
a reply to: LookingAtMars


I've noticed an increase in UFO and space-related articles recently. The CIA posted a link to a blog post about UFOs, the Pentagon declassified videos showing UFOs, and subjects like the Space Force, Majestic Twelve and Operation Bluebeam are gaining more attention. At this point, it should be safe to assume that further declass is coming in the future and we're slowly being prepared for that.

I have noticed that when funding starts to dry up for space-related activities, this kind of thing tends to show up in the media. My guess is that it's just to stir up public interest and make the government give them more funding. Probably won't work that well when people are fighting to live right now.

a reply to: BrianFlanders

I have noticed that when funding starts to dry up for space-related activities, this kind of thing tends to show up in the media.

The OP's source is NASA JPL so hardly "the media" , those who are interested have been waiting a while for this launch so it's just an update on a story we're following.

Your cynicism is misplaced.

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: BrianFlanders

I have noticed that when funding starts to dry up for space-related activities, this kind of thing tends to show up in the media.

The OP's source is NASA JPL so hardly "the media" , those who are interested have been waiting a while for this launch so it's just an update on a story we're following.

Your cynicism is misplaced.

Not really. NASA also starts making more noise when they need money. Obviously, they would have a vested interest in drumming up public interest when they're low on funds. So of course when NASA releases information they know the media will pick it up.

a reply to: BrianFlanders

The president wants to return to the Moon so they already have increased funding.

President Donald Trump wants to raise NASA's budget to $25.2 billion for the fiscal year beginning in October, an increase of 12% over the current year's funding.

Nearly half of that total would fund activities directed toward getting humans first to the moon, then to Mars. The budget request includes $3.3 billion for human lunar landers, part of NASA's Artemis program that aims for a lunar landing in 2024. The new documents also cut several long-targeted programs and introduce a new mission that would study ice on Mars.
www.space.com...

Perseverance Rover may pave the way for future aerial exploration of Mars , I think we should all get behind that.

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: BrianFlanders

The president wants to return to the Moon so they already have increased funding.

President Donald Trump wants to raise NASA's budget to $25.2 billion for the fiscal year beginning in October, an increase of 12% over the current year's funding.

Nearly half of that total would fund activities directed toward getting humans first to the moon, then to Mars. The budget request includes $3.3 billion for human lunar landers, part of NASA's Artemis program that aims for a lunar landing in 2024. The new documents also cut several long-targeted programs and introduce a new mission that would study ice on Mars.
www.space.com...

Perseverance Rover may pave the way for future aerial exploration of Mars , I think we should all get behind that.

Yeah. That was a couple of months ago.

originally posted by: BrianFlanders

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: BrianFlanders

I have noticed that when funding starts to dry up for space-related activities, this kind of thing tends to show up in the media.

The OP's source is NASA JPL so hardly "the media" , those who are interested have been waiting a while for this launch so it's just an update on a story we're following.

Your cynicism is misplaced.

Not really. NASA also starts making more noise when they need money. Obviously, they would have a vested interest in drumming up public interest when they're low on funds. So of course when NASA releases information they know the media will pick it up.

NASA always needs money. Lofting things into space is damned expensive.

They usually show progress with what they are doing because they need to keep assuring that the funds are doing something.

I think any money that has been spent on NASA has in one way or another been returned to the people many fold, in tech and knowledge.

a reply to: chr0naut

Department of Defense Directive Number 5105.15

They didn't disclose the slow synch higher precision GPS for years.
I wonder if they are going to declassify some of the older projects?
The early birds had multiple wave length capability, not sure which bird was the first capable of monitoring low level winds.

originally posted by: Slichter
a reply to: chr0naut

Department of Defense Directive Number 5105.15

They didn't disclose the slow synch higher precision GPS for years.
I wonder if they are going to declassify some of the older projects?
The early birds had multiple wavelength capabilities, not sure which bird was the first capable of monitoring low-level winds.

Yes but that didn't stop NASA from lofting and advertising publicly.

GPS precision was a defense secret at the time and was not obviously apparent to the casual observer.

Sure, there's some tech that is still secret, but the rate of technological change in the public arena has meant that the initially secret projects are less able to hide.

To this day there is the stuff that the general public doesn't know about nukes. It's probably still registered as a secret, somewhere. That's 1950's tech. But it isn't a secret from physicists who can infer what the missing stuff is. They just wouldn't ever talk about it in public.

a reply to: chr0naut

They would have started with a passive system until they honed the clocking mechanism.
They had a Mercury ion clock, 1944 is the earliest public disclosure I'm aware of.
Might have been some kind of post processing of the down link signal that produced a holographic image.
Not sure of the resolution, 10-19 thing that makes it unobtainium dawned on me too late.

originally posted by: chr0naut

originally posted by: BrianFlanders

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: BrianFlanders

I have noticed that when funding starts to dry up for space-related activities, this kind of thing tends to show up in the media.

The OP's source is NASA JPL so hardly "the media" , those who are interested have been waiting a while for this launch so it's just an update on a story we're following.

Your cynicism is misplaced.

Not really. NASA also starts making more noise when they need money. Obviously, they would have a vested interest in drumming up public interest when they're low on funds. So of course when NASA releases information they know the media will pick it up.

NASA always needs money. Lofting things into space is damned expensive.

They usually show progress with what they are doing because they need to keep assuring that the funds are doing something.

Yeah but they're kinda stingy with the updates. We mostly get scraps.