Planetary Society logo
  • “Exploration is in our nature.” - Carl Sagan

Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Perseverance Heat Shield Falls Away

Perseverance Heat Shield Falls Away
Perseverance Heat Shield Falls Away The heat shield that protected NASA's Perseverance rover as it traveled through Mars' atmosphere falls away after being released during the spacecraft's descent on 18 February 2021. This image was captured by the rover's Lander Vision System Camera, which compared images of the surface to an onboard map to guide Perseverance to a safe landing spot in Jezero crater. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS