1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,333 ♪ 2 00:00:07,266 --> 00:00:11,000 NARRATOR: February 18, 2021. 3 00:00:11,066 --> 00:00:14,266 Perseverance, NASA's newest rover, 4 00:00:14,333 --> 00:00:19,533 {\an1}one of the most sophisticated planetary probes ever built, 5 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:21,000 {\an1}is approaching Mars 6 00:00:21,066 --> 00:00:26,600 {\an1}on an epic quest to hunt for life beyond Earth. 7 00:00:26,666 --> 00:00:28,066 {\an1}SWATI MOHAN: We are under a minute 8 00:00:28,133 --> 00:00:29,209 {\an1}from cruise stage separation. 9 00:00:29,233 --> 00:00:31,633 NARRATOR: 130 million miles away, 10 00:00:31,700 --> 00:00:33,076 {\an1}a team of researchers anxiously waits... 11 00:00:33,100 --> 00:00:35,000 MOHAN: Heading alignment. 12 00:00:35,066 --> 00:00:38,433 {\an1}NARRATOR: as Perseverance attempts to land 13 00:00:38,500 --> 00:00:41,566 where no rover has dared land before... 14 00:00:41,633 --> 00:00:43,966 Inside a crater 15 00:00:44,033 --> 00:00:47,200 {\an1}that might be filled with ancient Martian life, 16 00:00:47,266 --> 00:00:50,133 {\an1}but is definitely filled with cliffs 17 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:52,666 and sand traps 18 00:00:52,733 --> 00:00:55,000 {\an1}where a rover can crash 19 00:00:55,066 --> 00:00:56,933 {\an1}or get stuck for good. 20 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:58,042 AL CHEN: We're heading toward the ground 21 00:00:58,066 --> 00:01:00,233 {\an1}at race car speeds. 22 00:01:00,300 --> 00:01:02,566 {\an1}So there's no way we're going to joystick this down. 23 00:01:02,633 --> 00:01:06,533 {\an1}NARRATOR: For the first time in the history of Mars exploration, 24 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:08,366 {\an1}a rover is equipped with 25 00:01:08,433 --> 00:01:12,866 {\an1}the intelligence to try to steer itself out of danger. 26 00:01:12,933 --> 00:01:15,566 {\an1}ELIO MORILLO: There's a very specific timeline of events 27 00:01:15,633 --> 00:01:18,333 {\an1}that have to happen at the correct time for 28 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:21,733 {\an1}the entire process to succeed. 29 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:23,276 {\an1}NARRATOR: Perseverance signals its progress... 30 00:01:23,300 --> 00:01:24,933 MOHAN: Sky crane maneuver has started. 31 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,900 {\an1}NARRATOR: as the team monitors every step. 32 00:01:27,966 --> 00:01:32,166 {\an1}If the rover manages to land in one piece, 33 00:01:32,233 --> 00:01:36,100 {\an1}for about two years, it will drill into Martian rock 34 00:01:36,166 --> 00:01:39,266 {\an1}that could hold evidence of ancient life, 35 00:01:39,333 --> 00:01:43,233 {\an1}then collect samples and store them. 36 00:01:43,300 --> 00:01:46,633 {\an1}JULIE TOWNSEND: For the first time, we are going to collect 37 00:01:46,700 --> 00:01:48,340 {\an1}rock samples and bring them back to Earth. 38 00:01:49,833 --> 00:01:53,366 {\an7}NARRATOR: In the future, another rover will retrieve the samples 39 00:01:53,433 --> 00:01:55,266 {\an7}Perseverancecollects. 40 00:01:55,333 --> 00:01:57,600 {\an1}And through a series of daring missions... 41 00:01:57,666 --> 00:02:02,733 {\an1}that sound more science fiction than science fact... 42 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:05,100 {\an1}the samples will be brought to Earth, 43 00:02:05,166 --> 00:02:08,066 {\an1}where researchers can examine them 44 00:02:08,133 --> 00:02:10,600 {\an1}in far greater detail. 45 00:02:10,666 --> 00:02:12,376 KENNDA LYNCH: We have this amazing technology 46 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,600 {\an1}that can really can get those samples, 47 00:02:14,666 --> 00:02:15,733 {\an1}bring them back to Earth, 48 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:17,142 {\an1}and do all the really cool analysis 49 00:02:17,166 --> 00:02:18,409 {\an1}that we want to do here on Earth. 50 00:02:18,433 --> 00:02:20,933 ♪ 51 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,333 {\an1}This is a very, very large undertaking 52 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:25,433 {\an1}involving thousands and thousands of people 53 00:02:25,500 --> 00:02:27,133 {\an1}from all over the world. 54 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:29,766 NARRATOR: Thousands of researchers 55 00:02:29,833 --> 00:02:34,300 {\an1}with one shared goal. 56 00:02:34,366 --> 00:02:39,300 {\an1}"Looking for Life on Mars," right now, on "NOVA." 57 00:02:39,366 --> 00:02:42,166 ♪ 58 00:02:46,500 --> 00:02:51,033 ♪ 59 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:03,233 ♪ 60 00:03:03,300 --> 00:03:06,533 NARRATOR: Did life ever exist on Mars? 61 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:12,133 And if it did, what would that mean for us? 62 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:15,733 {\an1}JENNIFER EIGENBRODE: How special is life on Earth? 63 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:20,300 {\an1}Why do we not see it on Mars today? 64 00:03:20,366 --> 00:03:22,300 {\an1}Did it ever evolve on Mars? 65 00:03:22,366 --> 00:03:24,500 ♪ 66 00:03:24,566 --> 00:03:26,833 {\an1}What does it take to get life 67 00:03:26,900 --> 00:03:29,133 {\an1}to evolve on a planet? 68 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:31,233 ♪ 69 00:03:31,300 --> 00:03:32,776 DERRICK PITTS: That question about life 70 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:37,066 {\an1}is the one that really perplexes and, I think, really drives us. 71 00:03:37,133 --> 00:03:40,033 ♪ 72 00:03:40,100 --> 00:03:44,066 {\an1}Something about our desire to not be alone 73 00:03:44,133 --> 00:03:48,733 {\an1}keeps pushing us forward in the search for life. 74 00:03:53,633 --> 00:03:55,400 {\an7}I like to call it "CSI: Mars," right? 75 00:03:55,466 --> 00:03:57,276 {\an7}You know, it's, it's literally this investigation 76 00:03:57,300 --> 00:03:58,942 {\an7}where you're finding all these little clues 77 00:03:58,966 --> 00:04:00,042 {\an7}to put together your story. 78 00:04:00,066 --> 00:04:02,266 ♪ 79 00:04:02,333 --> 00:04:06,600 {\an1}NARRATOR: The tale of our celestial neighbor, Mars. 80 00:04:06,666 --> 00:04:08,733 The red planet. 81 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:11,800 {\an1}It captures the imagination. 82 00:04:11,866 --> 00:04:14,866 {\an1}Thousands of images paint a picture 83 00:04:14,933 --> 00:04:17,000 {\an1}of a barren, alien world. 84 00:04:17,066 --> 00:04:20,500 {\an8}♪ 85 00:04:20,566 --> 00:04:24,433 {\an7}At the same time, there's something about Mars 86 00:04:24,500 --> 00:04:27,900 {\an1}that's strangely familiar. 87 00:04:27,966 --> 00:04:30,833 AARON YAZZIE I was born on the Navajo Nation. 88 00:04:30,900 --> 00:04:32,233 {\an7}It's a high desert area 89 00:04:32,300 --> 00:04:33,933 {\an7}that actually has rolling desert hills, 90 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:38,900 {\an7}canyons, and rock formations, and mountains, 91 00:04:38,966 --> 00:04:41,933 {\an7}and all of that looks like the Martian landscape. 92 00:04:43,933 --> 00:04:46,166 {\an7}DIANA TRUJILLO: When I look at the pictures of Mars, 93 00:04:46,233 --> 00:04:48,833 {\an7}I see the Mojave Desert, right? 94 00:04:48,900 --> 00:04:50,433 {\an7}Without the cactus. 95 00:04:50,500 --> 00:04:52,400 {\an1}But I can't tell the difference if this image 96 00:04:52,466 --> 00:04:55,466 {\an1}is from the Mojave Desert or if this is from Mars. 97 00:04:55,533 --> 00:04:58,100 {\an1}To me, it makes me want to know more. 98 00:04:58,166 --> 00:05:02,066 {\an1}It makes me want to know, you know, what happened to Mars, 99 00:05:02,133 --> 00:05:03,700 {\an1}or was there life there? 100 00:05:03,766 --> 00:05:05,800 {\an8}(whirring) 101 00:05:05,866 --> 00:05:07,576 {\an7}NARRATOR: Can the Perseverance rover finally answer 102 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,500 {\an8}this question? 103 00:05:10,566 --> 00:05:13,800 {\an7}We've been searching for the remnants of life 104 00:05:13,866 --> 00:05:16,066 {\an7}on the red planet for decades, 105 00:05:16,133 --> 00:05:18,700 {\an7}from the Mariner orbiters 106 00:05:18,766 --> 00:05:23,300 {\an7}to the successful landings of Viking 1and2... 107 00:05:25,466 --> 00:05:28,000 {\an7}...through the twin rovers Spiritand Opportunity 108 00:05:28,066 --> 00:05:30,933 {\an7}that crisscrossed the planet. 109 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,266 {\an7}MORILLO: We've been building our knowledge 110 00:05:33,333 --> 00:05:34,933 {\an7}of the Martian environment 111 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:36,809 {\an7}through so many decades and so many achievements 112 00:05:36,833 --> 00:05:38,300 {\an7}from so many engineers before us. 113 00:05:38,366 --> 00:05:40,733 NARRATOR: But it was the discoveries 114 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:43,600 {\an1}of the most cunning robotic detective 115 00:05:43,666 --> 00:05:48,133 {\an1}to ever explore Mars, a rover named Curiosity, 116 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,333 {\an1}that set the stage for the Perseverancemission. 117 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:56,000 {\an1}September 14, 2012, 118 00:05:56,066 --> 00:05:58,766 {\an1}40 days after Curiosity landed on Mars, 119 00:05:58,833 --> 00:06:03,066 {\an1}it stumbled upon the unexpected. 120 00:06:03,133 --> 00:06:05,566 {\an1}SANJEEV GUPTA: I remember the moment those images came down. 121 00:06:05,633 --> 00:06:07,076 {\an1}We were all at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory 122 00:06:07,100 --> 00:06:09,200 {\an7}at the time, and we were all huddled 123 00:06:09,266 --> 00:06:10,533 {\an7}around a giant computer screen, 124 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,200 {\an7}and, and I was just gazing at this in astonishment, 125 00:06:13,266 --> 00:06:16,266 {\an8}because it's not what we had expected. 126 00:06:16,333 --> 00:06:17,809 {\an8}EIGENBRODE: We came across a whole bunch 127 00:06:17,833 --> 00:06:20,300 of cobbles, 128 00:06:20,366 --> 00:06:24,300 {\an1}and when we saw that, everybody's jaw just dropped. 129 00:06:24,366 --> 00:06:28,000 {\an7}"Oh, my gosh, look at this, this is perfect." 130 00:06:28,066 --> 00:06:29,566 {\an7}It is the classic example 131 00:06:29,633 --> 00:06:32,066 {\an7}of a river deposit. 132 00:06:32,133 --> 00:06:36,933 {\an1}Each one of those rocks, they had to get bounced around 133 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:40,000 {\an1}in some type of environment that was going to turn them 134 00:06:40,066 --> 00:06:43,500 {\an1}from something that was chunky and sharp and angular 135 00:06:43,566 --> 00:06:45,833 {\an1}to something that was rounded. 136 00:06:45,900 --> 00:06:46,833 Rivers do that. 137 00:06:46,900 --> 00:06:51,400 {\an7}Rivers on Earth do that very well. 138 00:06:51,466 --> 00:06:55,833 {\an7}And so when we saw this, it was our first evidence of a river. 139 00:06:55,900 --> 00:06:58,666 NARRATOR: Evidence that water once flowed 140 00:06:58,733 --> 00:07:00,700 {\an1}on the surface of the red planet. 141 00:07:00,766 --> 00:07:05,500 {\an1}On Earth, all life needs water to thrive... 142 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:10,933 {\an1}...from the giant blue whale 143 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,000 {\an1}to tiny microbes. 144 00:07:14,066 --> 00:07:16,066 {\an1}GUPTA: The scientists on the team have discovered 145 00:07:16,133 --> 00:07:19,333 {\an1}all these telltale signatures in the rocks 146 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:23,166 {\an1}that there were rivers and ancient lakes that existed 147 00:07:23,233 --> 00:07:26,600 {\an1}for hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years. 148 00:07:26,666 --> 00:07:29,700 HEATHER GRAHAM: You can think of Mars 149 00:07:29,766 --> 00:07:32,866 {\an7}as... back in time, of course... 150 00:07:32,933 --> 00:07:39,400 {\an1}as being Earth's slightly smaller, slightly colder sister. 151 00:07:39,466 --> 00:07:44,366 {\an1}GUPTA: Between 3.9 and 3.5 billion years ago, 152 00:07:44,433 --> 00:07:49,100 {\an1}we think that Mars was a warmer and wetter place. 153 00:07:49,166 --> 00:07:50,333 {\an1}And what's interesting about 154 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:53,633 {\an1}that is that's the same sort of time interval 155 00:07:53,700 --> 00:07:56,766 {\an1}that life got going on Earth. 156 00:07:58,666 --> 00:08:00,966 {\an1}KEN FARLEY: We have two planets with similar environments 157 00:08:01,033 --> 00:08:02,100 {\an1}at similar times. 158 00:08:02,166 --> 00:08:06,066 {\an7}One of them, on Earth, is inhabited. 159 00:08:06,133 --> 00:08:10,666 {\an7}Why wouldn't we expect that the one on Mars would be inhabited? 160 00:08:10,733 --> 00:08:15,600 {\an1}NARRATOR: Curiosityfound evidence of a once-wet world. 161 00:08:15,666 --> 00:08:20,233 {\an1}But here on Earth, for life to thrive, 162 00:08:20,300 --> 00:08:22,666 {\an1}it needs more than water. 163 00:08:22,733 --> 00:08:24,733 {\an1}It needs nutrients. 164 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:26,233 EIGENBRODE: We tend to simplify 165 00:08:26,300 --> 00:08:28,566 {\an1}that search for what type of nutrients 166 00:08:28,633 --> 00:08:30,300 {\an1}as what we call CHNOPS. 167 00:08:30,366 --> 00:08:32,733 {\an1}When people say CHNOPS, what they're saying is carbon... 168 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:34,500 Hydrogen... Nitrogen... 169 00:08:34,566 --> 00:08:35,966 Oxygen... Phosphorus... 170 00:08:36,033 --> 00:08:36,966 Sulfur. 171 00:08:37,033 --> 00:08:39,033 {\an1}And we spell all those, 172 00:08:39,100 --> 00:08:40,566 {\an1}the first letter of all those out, 173 00:08:40,633 --> 00:08:42,366 {\an1}it's called CHNOPS. (laughs) 174 00:08:42,433 --> 00:08:45,400 NARRATOR: These six elements make up 175 00:08:45,466 --> 00:08:49,566 {\an1}roughly 99% of the mass of the human body. 176 00:08:49,633 --> 00:08:53,433 {\an1}In fact, they make up about 99% of the mass 177 00:08:53,500 --> 00:08:56,600 {\an1}of all living things. 178 00:08:56,666 --> 00:09:01,766 {\an1}If life, as we know it, ever existed on Mars, 179 00:09:01,833 --> 00:09:05,433 {\an1}finding CHNOPS was key. 180 00:09:05,500 --> 00:09:11,233 {\an1}Could Curiosity, a laboratory on wheels, find CHNOPS? 181 00:09:12,866 --> 00:09:16,600 {\an1}The rover scooped up samples of Martian soil 182 00:09:16,666 --> 00:09:19,833 {\an1}to decode its chemical composition. 183 00:09:19,900 --> 00:09:22,066 {\an1}EIGENBRODE: What we found was a diverse chemistry 184 00:09:22,133 --> 00:09:25,033 {\an1}that included carbon, hydrogen, 185 00:09:25,100 --> 00:09:28,600 {\an7}some nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur, 186 00:09:28,666 --> 00:09:30,500 {\an7}and eventually we found some phosphorus. 187 00:09:30,566 --> 00:09:35,433 {\an1}There's plenty of chemical energy available for life, 188 00:09:35,500 --> 00:09:37,533 {\an1}if it had ever lived there. 189 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:39,366 {\an1}That's really been the big discovery 190 00:09:39,433 --> 00:09:41,633 {\an1}of the Curiosityrover mission. 191 00:09:41,700 --> 00:09:43,833 ♪ 192 00:09:43,900 --> 00:09:49,333 {\an1}NARRATOR: Curiosity found the ingredients necessary for life 193 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:51,700 {\an1}to emerge, but not life itself. 194 00:09:51,766 --> 00:09:54,566 {\an1}FARLEY: Curiosity has not, in fact, detected evidence 195 00:09:54,633 --> 00:09:56,966 {\an1}for life, because it does not have the instruments 196 00:09:57,033 --> 00:09:58,366 {\an1}designed for that purpose. 197 00:10:01,866 --> 00:10:04,900 {\an1}NARRATOR: Perseveranceis designed to take the next step 198 00:10:04,966 --> 00:10:07,533 {\an1}in Mars exploration, 199 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:10,433 {\an1}as it ventures into unexplored territory 200 00:10:10,500 --> 00:10:13,866 {\an1}to search for samples of Martian rock 201 00:10:13,933 --> 00:10:17,100 {\an1}in Jezero Crater. 202 00:10:17,166 --> 00:10:18,376 {\an7}If you want to set yourself up for success 203 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:20,866 {\an7}for finding ancient life, that is the place to go. 204 00:10:20,933 --> 00:10:22,266 ♪ 205 00:10:22,333 --> 00:10:24,666 NARRATOR: This orbital image reveals 206 00:10:24,733 --> 00:10:29,533 {\an1}what makes Jezero Crater so intriguing. 207 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:31,733 {\an1}KEN WILLIFORD: The key thing that led us to Jezero 208 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:35,933 {\an1}was this beautiful delta, beautifully visible from orbit. 209 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:39,200 {\an1}We think that delta must be somewhere around 210 00:10:39,266 --> 00:10:41,266 {\an1}three billion years old or older. 211 00:10:44,133 --> 00:10:47,600 {\an1}This delta sits at the end of a beautifully expressed 212 00:10:47,666 --> 00:10:51,300 {\an1}sinuous river channel that came in from the northwest, 213 00:10:51,366 --> 00:10:54,466 {\an7}flowing into the crater rim, and filling up 214 00:10:54,533 --> 00:10:57,133 {\an1}Jezero Crater with a lake. 215 00:10:59,666 --> 00:11:02,433 {\an1}NARRATOR: On Earth, deltas form where a river 216 00:11:02,500 --> 00:11:05,633 {\an1}and a larger body of water meet. 217 00:11:05,700 --> 00:11:11,366 {\an1}Sediment, brought in from the river, drifts to the bottom. 218 00:11:11,433 --> 00:11:12,633 TANJA BOSAK: The sediments that 219 00:11:12,700 --> 00:11:15,266 {\an7}the river carries are... 220 00:11:15,333 --> 00:11:17,866 {\an7}They really just fall out and they settle down. 221 00:11:17,933 --> 00:11:20,433 ♪ 222 00:11:20,500 --> 00:11:22,420 {\an1}EIGENBRODE: It creates a mud layer at the bottom. 223 00:11:22,466 --> 00:11:26,166 {\an1}Year after year after year after year, it creates these. 224 00:11:27,866 --> 00:11:30,966 {\an7}NARRATOR: Take some of that earthly delta mud, 225 00:11:31,033 --> 00:11:32,966 {\an7}put it under a microscope, 226 00:11:33,033 --> 00:11:35,566 {\an8}and you'll find it's teeming with life. 227 00:11:37,266 --> 00:11:38,666 Tiny microbes, 228 00:11:38,733 --> 00:11:42,900 {\an1}among the most ancient forms of life on Earth, 229 00:11:42,966 --> 00:11:47,200 {\an1}arising billions of years before the dinosaurs... 230 00:11:47,266 --> 00:11:50,033 {\an1}and far more resilient. 231 00:11:50,100 --> 00:11:54,000 {\an1}BOSAK: If we think about Mars billions of years ago, 232 00:11:54,066 --> 00:11:58,266 {\an1}we cannot hope for any large-scale fossils. 233 00:11:58,333 --> 00:12:01,666 {\an1}We can't really hope for fossil bones. 234 00:12:01,733 --> 00:12:05,033 {\an1}We can't hope for petrified wood. 235 00:12:05,100 --> 00:12:08,633 {\an1}We can't hope for fossilized leaves, 236 00:12:08,700 --> 00:12:12,033 {\an1}because none of that life existed even on Earth 237 00:12:12,100 --> 00:12:15,800 {\an1}before maybe half-a-billion years ago. 238 00:12:15,866 --> 00:12:17,733 {\an1}The only life that we can hope for 239 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:20,866 {\an1}on this old, ancient Mars is microbial. 240 00:12:20,933 --> 00:12:23,866 {\an1}Now, this is where it gets tricky, 241 00:12:23,933 --> 00:12:25,333 {\an1}because microbes are tiny. 242 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:28,100 {\an1}That's what their name says, they're microscopic. 243 00:12:28,166 --> 00:12:31,266 {\an1}And we can't really take microscopes to Mars, 244 00:12:31,333 --> 00:12:33,466 {\an1}but what we can look for are rocks 245 00:12:33,533 --> 00:12:35,666 {\an1}that can be shaped by microbial processes. 246 00:12:35,733 --> 00:12:38,633 NARRATOR: And that's what the team 247 00:12:38,700 --> 00:12:41,266 {\an1}hopes Perseverancewill find: 248 00:12:41,333 --> 00:12:45,566 {\an1}fossilized microbes, buried in the ancient rocks 249 00:12:45,633 --> 00:12:48,400 {\an1}of Jezero Crater. 250 00:12:48,466 --> 00:12:50,600 {\an1}FARLEY: There are a lot of very interesting debates 251 00:12:50,666 --> 00:12:53,566 {\an1}among the members of the science team 252 00:12:53,633 --> 00:12:56,333 {\an1}trying to figure out, which rocks should we sample? 253 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:59,766 {\an1}What should we be looking for? 254 00:12:59,833 --> 00:13:01,066 (camera clicks) 255 00:13:01,133 --> 00:13:02,633 And we have 256 00:13:02,700 --> 00:13:05,800 {\an1}one example, only one example, and that's Earth. 257 00:13:05,866 --> 00:13:07,333 ♪ 258 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:09,933 {\an1}NARRATOR: So the Perseverance science team set out 259 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,366 {\an1}to study the clues Earth has to offer 260 00:13:12,433 --> 00:13:15,733 {\an1}in rocks about the same age 261 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:19,100 {\an1}as the ones they will search for in Jezero Crater. 262 00:13:19,166 --> 00:13:21,566 FARLEY: We went to this location 263 00:13:21,633 --> 00:13:24,900 {\an1}in Western Australia where the oldest evidence of life occurs, 264 00:13:24,966 --> 00:13:27,566 {\an1}just so we could see what it actually looks like. 265 00:13:27,633 --> 00:13:29,700 {\an1}MAN: There are ripples around the side of... 266 00:13:29,766 --> 00:13:32,400 {\an1}NARRATOR: The strange, rippled layers of these rocks, 267 00:13:32,466 --> 00:13:34,966 {\an1}known as stromatolites, 268 00:13:35,033 --> 00:13:37,433 {\an1}are actually the remnants of a form 269 00:13:37,500 --> 00:13:39,866 {\an1}of ancient microbial life. 270 00:13:42,166 --> 00:13:44,566 {\an1}In a stromatolite, you'll see there's lots of convolutions. 271 00:13:44,633 --> 00:13:48,000 {\an1}They're bumpy and, and lumpy. 272 00:13:48,066 --> 00:13:52,766 {\an1}NARRATOR: Bumps and lumps of fossilized microbes. 273 00:13:52,833 --> 00:13:55,900 {\an1}A fossilized community of organisms all packaged together. 274 00:13:55,966 --> 00:13:58,733 NARRATOR: There are just a few colonies 275 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,700 {\an1}of living stromatolites left on Earth. 276 00:14:01,766 --> 00:14:04,166 {\an1}They look like rocks, 277 00:14:04,233 --> 00:14:08,933 {\an1}but just beneath the surface are layers of bacteria. 278 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:11,300 {\an1}WILLIFORD: These often form in shallow-water environments 279 00:14:11,366 --> 00:14:12,900 {\an1}where the microbes sort of 280 00:14:12,966 --> 00:14:17,200 {\an1}have something to live on, and they pile up in these layers, 281 00:14:17,266 --> 00:14:20,033 {\an1}one on top of the other, a layer of gooey microbes, 282 00:14:20,100 --> 00:14:22,833 {\an1}bacterial cells that have this sort of mucous-y, 283 00:14:22,900 --> 00:14:24,300 gooey substance. 284 00:14:24,366 --> 00:14:25,966 {\an1}That gooey substance 285 00:14:26,033 --> 00:14:30,033 {\an1}traps sediment, mud or sand, that flows on top of it. 286 00:14:30,100 --> 00:14:31,576 {\an1}And then they grow on top of that again. 287 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:32,966 {\an1}And that process repeats. 288 00:14:33,033 --> 00:14:35,433 NARRATOR: By studying these 289 00:14:35,500 --> 00:14:37,433 {\an1}ancient stromatolites, 290 00:14:37,500 --> 00:14:40,200 {\an1}the team hopes to gain a deeper understanding 291 00:14:40,266 --> 00:14:43,266 {\an1}of what to hunt for on Mars. 292 00:14:43,333 --> 00:14:45,833 When we went out and looked at these rocks, 293 00:14:45,900 --> 00:14:48,766 {\an1}I was very surprised how obvious it was 294 00:14:48,833 --> 00:14:51,500 {\an1}that the structures that we were looking at were, first of all, 295 00:14:51,566 --> 00:14:53,766 {\an1}very unusual and very likely 296 00:14:53,833 --> 00:14:56,300 to be biogenic, produced by life. 297 00:14:56,366 --> 00:14:59,033 {\an1}This is a kind of a feature 298 00:14:59,100 --> 00:15:02,366 {\an1}that we could see in Jezero Crater with the cameras 299 00:15:02,433 --> 00:15:07,233 {\an1}that we are carrying with us on the Perseverancerover. 300 00:15:07,300 --> 00:15:09,166 {\an7}This rover has a ton of cameras... 301 00:15:09,233 --> 00:15:10,466 {\an7}we are carrying 23 cameras. 302 00:15:10,533 --> 00:15:12,600 ♪ 303 00:15:12,666 --> 00:15:15,366 {\an1}Color cameras, zoom cameras, 304 00:15:15,433 --> 00:15:17,866 {\an1}black-and-white cameras... You name it, right? 305 00:15:17,933 --> 00:15:19,213 {\an1}Cameras that can see up to, like, 306 00:15:19,266 --> 00:15:22,300 {\an1}the size of a grain of salt, and so 307 00:15:22,366 --> 00:15:24,142 they're all over the place on the rover, right? 308 00:15:24,166 --> 00:15:28,800 {\an1}On the front, on the back, on the top, on the arm. 309 00:15:28,866 --> 00:15:31,466 {\an1}We have two in the robotic arm that are awesome. 310 00:15:31,533 --> 00:15:33,466 {\an1}One of them is Pixl and the other one, 311 00:15:33,533 --> 00:15:36,300 {\an1}which I love the name, is Sherloc and Watson. 312 00:15:36,366 --> 00:15:37,466 {\an1}You can guess from the name 313 00:15:37,533 --> 00:15:39,800 {\an1}of Sherloc and Watson that the whole point 314 00:15:39,866 --> 00:15:42,333 {\an1}of those instrument is to investigate, right? 315 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:46,066 {\an1}What is the chemical composition of that target? 316 00:15:46,133 --> 00:15:48,700 BOSAK: We don't have geologists 317 00:15:48,766 --> 00:15:50,533 {\an1}who can bang their hammers on the rocks 318 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,066 {\an1}or, or take their lenses, or maybe there's even, 319 00:15:53,133 --> 00:15:55,476 {\an1}you could drop some vinegar to see what minerals are present... 320 00:15:55,500 --> 00:15:57,066 {\an1}we can't do that. 321 00:15:57,133 --> 00:15:59,066 {\an1}But we do have a lot of instruments that tell us 322 00:15:59,133 --> 00:16:01,166 {\an1}what is in those rocks. 323 00:16:02,866 --> 00:16:05,000 {\an1}NARRATOR: Perseverancewill also be on the lookout 324 00:16:05,066 --> 00:16:08,500 {\an1}for another ancient rock in Jezero Crater, 325 00:16:08,566 --> 00:16:13,000 {\an1}one that is as elusive as it is appealing. 326 00:16:13,066 --> 00:16:17,233 {\an1}WILLIFORD: This is a piece of what we would call black chert. 327 00:16:17,300 --> 00:16:18,442 {\an1}Chert is such a fine-grained rock. 328 00:16:18,466 --> 00:16:21,100 {\an1}If you look really close, 329 00:16:21,166 --> 00:16:23,966 {\an1}you can see some sort of blotchy, black stuff 330 00:16:24,033 --> 00:16:26,366 {\an1}in the interior of this gray rock. 331 00:16:26,433 --> 00:16:29,066 {\an1}And that black stuff, that blotchy, black stuff 332 00:16:29,133 --> 00:16:33,800 {\an1}is actual fossilized bacterial cells. 333 00:16:33,866 --> 00:16:36,033 {\an1}This is a type of rock that we would 334 00:16:36,100 --> 00:16:38,433 {\an1}absolutely love to encounter on Mars. 335 00:16:38,500 --> 00:16:43,766 {\an1}The tough part is that chert is very, very, very hard to drill. 336 00:16:43,833 --> 00:16:45,333 {\an1}So it'll be a tough decision. 337 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:47,600 {\an1}If we see a rock like this, we would, 338 00:16:47,666 --> 00:16:49,033 {\an1}we would probably be willing 339 00:16:49,100 --> 00:16:51,233 {\an1}to give up an entire drill bit. 340 00:16:51,300 --> 00:16:52,900 {\an1}The payoff is potentially so huge, 341 00:16:52,966 --> 00:16:54,300 {\an1}because we could, you know, 342 00:16:54,366 --> 00:16:57,133 {\an1}maybe bring back fossil Martian cells. 343 00:16:57,200 --> 00:16:58,933 ♪ 344 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:02,700 {\an1}NARRATOR: Even if Perseverance finds rocks that look promising, 345 00:17:02,766 --> 00:17:07,333 {\an1}it's not equipped to verify ancient microbes. 346 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:09,900 {\an1}For that, the Martian rock would need 347 00:17:09,966 --> 00:17:13,066 {\an1}to be studied back on Earth. 348 00:17:13,133 --> 00:17:15,042 {\an7}Collecting samples on Mars and bringing them back to Earth 349 00:17:15,066 --> 00:17:16,442 {\an7}is one of the most complex things we've tried to do 350 00:17:16,466 --> 00:17:18,800 {\an7}with one of our robots... This is a sample tube, 351 00:17:18,866 --> 00:17:22,333 {\an1}and on board Perseverance are over 40 of these. 352 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:25,333 {\an1}And the goal is to fill each one of them 353 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:26,866 {\an1}with a sample of Mars rock. 354 00:17:28,366 --> 00:17:30,966 {\an1}NARRATOR: A sample tube is loaded inside a drill 355 00:17:31,033 --> 00:17:33,933 {\an1}at the end of the rover's arm. 356 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:36,700 {\an7}YAZZIE: We had to come up with an entirely unique design 357 00:17:36,766 --> 00:17:38,766 {\an7}to drill into a lot of different rocks 358 00:17:38,833 --> 00:17:41,266 {\an7}and be able to extract core samples that aren't broken 359 00:17:41,333 --> 00:17:44,133 {\an7}into too many pieces, that hasn't turned into powder. 360 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:46,500 {\an7}So it's actually a very sophisticated mechanism. 361 00:17:46,566 --> 00:17:50,566 {\an7}After we're done drilling the depth that we want to, 362 00:17:50,633 --> 00:17:53,366 {\an7}we do one final motion to extract the core 363 00:17:53,433 --> 00:17:54,833 {\an7}from the inside of the rock. 364 00:17:54,900 --> 00:17:56,733 ♪ 365 00:17:56,800 --> 00:18:00,366 {\an1}NARRATOR: Now the sample tube, filled with Martian rock, 366 00:18:00,433 --> 00:18:03,400 {\an1}is brought back on board the rover. 367 00:18:03,466 --> 00:18:04,400 JESSICA SAMUELS: We take the robotic arm 368 00:18:04,466 --> 00:18:06,333 {\an1}with Martian sample inside of it 369 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:09,533 {\an1}and we dock it inside the belly of the rover. 370 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:12,166 (whirring) 371 00:18:12,233 --> 00:18:14,533 {\an1}Where we have another small robotic arm 372 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:15,966 {\an1}that extracts the tube... 373 00:18:16,033 --> 00:18:17,900 (whirring) 374 00:18:17,966 --> 00:18:22,333 {\an1}...and takes it through a series of stations. 375 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:24,833 SAMUELS: We want to inspect it. 376 00:18:24,900 --> 00:18:27,933 {\an7}We want to figure out how much volume we may have collected, 377 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:29,766 {\an7}take some pictures of it. 378 00:18:29,833 --> 00:18:32,233 {\an1}And then we seal that tube 379 00:18:32,300 --> 00:18:35,666 {\an1}and then go put it back into our storage rack. 380 00:18:35,733 --> 00:18:38,233 {\an1}TRUJILLO: So all of that gets done internal to the belly 381 00:18:38,300 --> 00:18:40,200 {\an1}of the rover with a little arm 382 00:18:40,266 --> 00:18:42,200 {\an1}that, he's moving it around, which is insane. 383 00:18:43,733 --> 00:18:45,000 NARRATOR: It took seven years 384 00:18:45,066 --> 00:18:48,633 {\an1}to design, test, and build 385 00:18:48,700 --> 00:18:51,333 {\an1}this one-of-a-kind sampling system. 386 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:53,166 TOWNSEND: We've put a lot into this rover, 387 00:18:53,233 --> 00:18:55,700 {\an1}and we are very invested in it working 388 00:18:55,766 --> 00:18:57,600 {\an1}when it gets to Mars. 389 00:18:57,666 --> 00:18:59,333 {\an1}And so we kind of wait 390 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:01,500 {\an1}with bated breath, and we do the best we can, 391 00:19:01,566 --> 00:19:03,500 {\an1}and we do tons and tons of testing. 392 00:19:03,566 --> 00:19:06,166 {\an1}And we, we hope that it is enough. 393 00:19:06,233 --> 00:19:09,133 ♪ 394 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,233 {\an1}NARRATOR: Inside this massive clean room at JPL, 395 00:19:12,300 --> 00:19:14,733 {\an1}the sampling system, 396 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:16,666 {\an1}along with seven science instruments, 397 00:19:16,733 --> 00:19:21,333 {\an1}are carefully loaded inside the S.U.V.-size rover. 398 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:23,533 {\an1}Throughout this process, 399 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:26,300 {\an1}the spacecraft must be kept impeccably clean, 400 00:19:26,366 --> 00:19:29,533 {\an7}down to the microbe. 401 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:30,766 {\an8}LYNCH: We don't want to send 402 00:19:30,833 --> 00:19:33,100 {\an7}an expensive vehicle like Perseverance 403 00:19:33,166 --> 00:19:35,533 {\an7}to Mars and then just detect ourselves, 404 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:37,766 {\an7}because we didn't work to make sure that 405 00:19:37,833 --> 00:19:40,666 {\an7}we kept the spacecraft and the instruments, 406 00:19:40,733 --> 00:19:42,866 {\an7}and everything that it touches, as clean as possible. 407 00:19:42,933 --> 00:19:44,766 {\an8}COOPER: You want to have 408 00:19:44,833 --> 00:19:47,900 {\an7}a nice pristine sample without any Earth contamination, 409 00:19:47,966 --> 00:19:48,976 {\an7}so that's why we work really hard 410 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,933 {\an1}to keep that spacecraft clean. 411 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:54,833 NARRATOR: Moogega Cooper is responsible 412 00:19:54,900 --> 00:19:58,433 {\an1}for hunting down earthly microbes that could hitch a ride 413 00:19:58,500 --> 00:20:00,733 {\an1}to Mars on the spacecraft. 414 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:03,800 {\an1}Especially the hardy ones. 415 00:20:03,866 --> 00:20:05,800 {\an1}COOPER: The microbes that we're talking about are 416 00:20:05,866 --> 00:20:09,066 {\an1}so resilient, they could possibly survive all of the 417 00:20:09,133 --> 00:20:14,400 {\an1}radiation in space, U.V., the temperature swings, 418 00:20:14,466 --> 00:20:15,833 {\an1}journeying to Mars, 419 00:20:15,900 --> 00:20:18,833 {\an1}and possibly back. 420 00:20:18,900 --> 00:20:20,633 {\an1}So we have to sample the hardware over time, 421 00:20:20,700 --> 00:20:21,966 {\an1}and we use either swabs 422 00:20:22,033 --> 00:20:25,366 {\an1}or wipes to collect samples, 423 00:20:25,433 --> 00:20:27,476 {\an1}lift them off of the surface, and we bring it to our lab 424 00:20:27,500 --> 00:20:29,733 {\an1}and we put them in these petri dishes. 425 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:31,166 {\an1}We have to give them food 426 00:20:31,233 --> 00:20:33,566 {\an1}so that the colonies grow large enough so that 427 00:20:33,633 --> 00:20:36,033 {\an1}we can see them, and know that they're present 428 00:20:36,100 --> 00:20:37,466 {\an1}on our petri dish. 429 00:20:37,533 --> 00:20:40,700 NARRATOR: If some hardy microbes flourish, 430 00:20:40,766 --> 00:20:44,166 {\an7}the surface is cleaned with isopropyl alcohol. 431 00:20:44,233 --> 00:20:46,100 COOPER: Over the course of the mission, 432 00:20:46,166 --> 00:20:50,966 {\an1}we've taken 16,681 wipes, swabs, and air samples 433 00:20:51,033 --> 00:20:54,466 {\an1}of the spacecraft and the surrounding environment. 434 00:20:54,533 --> 00:20:56,066 {\an1}Pretty... Pretty good job. 435 00:20:58,000 --> 00:20:59,680 {\an1}NARRATOR: But there's one part of the rover 436 00:20:59,733 --> 00:21:02,766 {\an1}that needs to be as clean as humanly possible. 437 00:21:04,633 --> 00:21:08,166 {\an1}The sample tubes that will store Martian rock. 438 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:11,760 IAN CLARK: We had to have an environment 439 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:13,700 {\an7}in which to put them together 440 00:21:13,766 --> 00:21:15,800 {\an7}and to handle them and to work with them 441 00:21:15,866 --> 00:21:18,033 {\an1}and assemble them. 442 00:21:18,100 --> 00:21:21,900 {\an1}We built an entirely new clean room, 443 00:21:21,966 --> 00:21:24,466 {\an1}the cleanest environments we've ever had at JPL. 444 00:21:24,533 --> 00:21:26,066 {\an1}We take a normal clean room 445 00:21:26,133 --> 00:21:27,766 {\an1}and we start breaking everything down 446 00:21:27,833 --> 00:21:30,133 {\an1}to understand additional sources of contamination 447 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:32,900 {\an1}and how do we make that room even cleaner. 448 00:21:32,966 --> 00:21:35,100 {\an1}The gloves that they use, 449 00:21:35,166 --> 00:21:37,100 {\an1}how many layers of gloves that they have, 450 00:21:37,166 --> 00:21:39,400 {\an1}how often they need to change gloves, 451 00:21:39,466 --> 00:21:41,300 {\an1}how often they have to change the gowns, 452 00:21:41,366 --> 00:21:42,866 {\an1}when we can reuse things. 453 00:21:42,933 --> 00:21:46,266 {\an1}Even the computers that are used in there. 454 00:21:46,333 --> 00:21:48,233 We can't bring cell phones into that room. 455 00:21:48,300 --> 00:21:50,433 {\an1}We can't bring everyday objects 456 00:21:50,500 --> 00:21:53,366 {\an1}that you normally associate with how you do your job 457 00:21:53,433 --> 00:21:56,866 {\an1}into an environment that is that sterile and that clean. 458 00:21:56,933 --> 00:22:02,466 {\an1}The sample tube itself looks very similar to a test tube, 459 00:22:02,533 --> 00:22:07,033 {\an7}but that really belies the complexity of the design 460 00:22:07,100 --> 00:22:09,140 {\an7}and the features that are built into the sample tube 461 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:11,366 {\an7}to help prevent contamination. 462 00:22:11,433 --> 00:22:15,200 {\an1}The gold coating is a mixture of titanium and nitrogen 463 00:22:15,266 --> 00:22:18,466 {\an1}especially engineered in order to prevent organic compounds 464 00:22:18,533 --> 00:22:22,000 {\an7}from sticking to the surface, and that's on the outside 465 00:22:22,066 --> 00:22:24,566 {\an1}of the sample tube and also inside the sample tube. 466 00:22:24,633 --> 00:22:26,866 ♪ 467 00:22:26,933 --> 00:22:28,633 {\an1}These sample tubes are the cleanest things 468 00:22:28,700 --> 00:22:29,933 {\an1}that we've ever sent 469 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:31,466 {\an1}to another planet by far. 470 00:22:31,533 --> 00:22:34,933 {\an1}In fact, these sample tubes are probably 471 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:36,566 {\an1}the cleanest thing on Earth. 472 00:22:41,133 --> 00:22:43,100 ♪ 473 00:22:43,166 --> 00:22:45,700 NARRATOR: March 2020. 474 00:22:45,766 --> 00:22:48,900 {\an1}The COVID-19 pandemic triggers 475 00:22:48,966 --> 00:22:53,133 {\an1}shutdowns across the country... 476 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,900 {\an1}including at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 477 00:22:56,966 --> 00:23:01,633 {\an1}Life as we know it comes to a grinding halt. 478 00:23:01,700 --> 00:23:04,100 {\an1}COOPER: It's hard enough to build spacecraft, but on top of 479 00:23:04,166 --> 00:23:06,100 {\an1}that, as we were approaching launch, 480 00:23:06,166 --> 00:23:09,300 {\an1}the COVID-19 pandemic was surging in parallel. 481 00:23:09,366 --> 00:23:12,600 NARRATOR: Time is of the essence. 482 00:23:12,666 --> 00:23:15,833 {\an1}It's just four months before launch. 483 00:23:15,900 --> 00:23:18,100 {\an1}A limited number of essential workers 484 00:23:18,166 --> 00:23:20,533 {\an1}are permitted on site. 485 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:21,866 COOPER: It's very difficult 486 00:23:21,933 --> 00:23:25,266 {\an1}to control whether or not face masks are worn 487 00:23:25,333 --> 00:23:28,400 {\an1}outside of the workplace environment. 488 00:23:28,466 --> 00:23:30,742 {\an1}It's easy when you're in a clean room, that's what you do. 489 00:23:30,766 --> 00:23:32,900 {\an1}You wear your face masks, you wear your bunny suits. 490 00:23:32,966 --> 00:23:36,300 {\an1}We actually felt safer in the clean room than we did 491 00:23:36,366 --> 00:23:39,166 {\an1}in the regular environment. 492 00:23:39,233 --> 00:23:41,833 NARRATOR: Despite the team's best efforts, 493 00:23:41,900 --> 00:23:43,533 {\an1}it's unclear whether they'll be 494 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:45,733 {\an1}ready to launch on time. 495 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:47,466 SAMUELS: We launch to Mars 496 00:23:47,533 --> 00:23:49,166 {\an1}typically every two years. 497 00:23:49,233 --> 00:23:53,133 {\an1}And if we miss that opportunity, 498 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:55,000 you know, that, that's a long time to wait. 499 00:23:56,666 --> 00:23:59,166 {\an1}YAZZIE: One thing to understand about sending something to Mars 500 00:23:59,233 --> 00:24:03,600 {\an1}is that we have a very short launch window. 501 00:24:03,666 --> 00:24:07,700 {\an1}Mars takes about two Earth years to orbit the Sun, 502 00:24:07,766 --> 00:24:11,666 {\an7}and every two years, Mars and the Earth are close enough 503 00:24:11,733 --> 00:24:14,066 {\an7}to each other, and that's when we launch missions 504 00:24:14,133 --> 00:24:16,166 {\an7}between the two planets. 505 00:24:16,233 --> 00:24:18,066 {\an7}And if we miss this launch window 506 00:24:18,133 --> 00:24:20,100 {\an1}for any reason, we would have to wait two years 507 00:24:20,166 --> 00:24:21,900 {\an1}until we could try again. 508 00:24:23,500 --> 00:24:27,900 {\an1}NARRATOR: And that wait could cost half-a-billion dollars. 509 00:24:27,966 --> 00:24:30,000 TRUJILLO: The team recognized 510 00:24:30,066 --> 00:24:31,209 {\an1}we are already on the rails, right? 511 00:24:31,233 --> 00:24:32,733 {\an1}We're about to take off. 512 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:34,300 {\an1}Let's just get the job done. 513 00:24:34,366 --> 00:24:36,133 {\an1}If we focus on this target, 514 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:38,300 {\an1}maybe we'll unite the whole team, as well. 515 00:24:38,366 --> 00:24:41,700 {\an1}And in a way, also give hope to everybody, 516 00:24:41,766 --> 00:24:44,300 {\an1}not only on the U.S., but also around the world, that 517 00:24:44,366 --> 00:24:47,000 {\an7}we still can manage to focus on a mission 518 00:24:47,066 --> 00:24:49,666 {\an7}and focus on a bigger objective, and then pull it off. 519 00:24:49,733 --> 00:24:52,000 ♪ 520 00:24:52,066 --> 00:24:54,366 FARLEY: For me, the bright spot 521 00:24:54,433 --> 00:24:59,733 {\an7}of COVID was actually seeing the team that we had pull together 522 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:02,000 {\an1}and actually get it done. 523 00:25:02,066 --> 00:25:06,700 {\an1}It's kind of miraculous that we got to the launch pad. 524 00:25:06,766 --> 00:25:08,966 NARRATOR: Before Perseverance is launched, 525 00:25:09,033 --> 00:25:12,366 {\an1}members of the team install this plaque 526 00:25:12,433 --> 00:25:15,033 {\an1}to honor healthcare workers. 527 00:25:15,100 --> 00:25:16,509 MORILLO: It's a constant reminder that 528 00:25:16,533 --> 00:25:19,900 {\an7}there are people, you know, making sacrifices to make sure 529 00:25:19,966 --> 00:25:21,666 {\an7}everybody is safe and healthy. 530 00:25:21,733 --> 00:25:24,333 {\an8}♪ 531 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:27,000 {\an8}NASA ANNOUNCER: From America's shore 532 00:25:27,066 --> 00:25:28,966 {\an7}to Jezero Crater on Mars. 533 00:25:29,033 --> 00:25:30,866 {\an7}We'll begin with the launch of this 534 00:25:30,933 --> 00:25:32,500 {\an7}Atlas V rocket... 535 00:25:32,566 --> 00:25:34,833 {\an8}NARRATOR: The day has finally arrived. 536 00:25:34,900 --> 00:25:38,266 {\an8}Perseverance is on the launch pad. 537 00:25:38,333 --> 00:25:41,733 {\an7}On a nearby beach, team member 538 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:42,733 {\an8}Elio Morillo, 539 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:44,200 {\an7}along with friends 540 00:25:44,266 --> 00:25:47,333 {\an7}and his mom, have come to watch the launch. 541 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:49,900 {\an8}MORILLO: This is my first mission, 542 00:25:49,966 --> 00:25:51,766 {\an7}and I'm about to see it take off to Mars. 543 00:25:51,833 --> 00:25:54,633 {\an1}I can't describe how 544 00:25:54,700 --> 00:25:57,133 {\an1}excited and scared and nervous 545 00:25:57,200 --> 00:25:59,066 {\an1}I am at the same time. 546 00:25:59,133 --> 00:26:01,166 {\an1}I'm really proud to be part of this team. 547 00:26:01,233 --> 00:26:02,300 {\an1}And despite the pandemic, 548 00:26:02,366 --> 00:26:05,600 {\an1}we have persevered through this together. 549 00:26:07,300 --> 00:26:10,033 NARRATOR: Meanwhile... 550 00:26:10,100 --> 00:26:11,800 {\an1}Grabbed my security blanket. 551 00:26:11,866 --> 00:26:13,300 {\an1}Let's see if she'll let me... 552 00:26:13,366 --> 00:26:15,633 {\an1}NARRATOR: Other team members, like Ian Clark, 553 00:26:15,700 --> 00:26:17,933 {\an1}along with his dog Pixl, 554 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:20,800 {\an1}nervously watch the launch from home. 555 00:26:20,866 --> 00:26:22,226 {\an1}MAN (on computer): Launch director. 556 00:26:22,266 --> 00:26:24,733 {\an1}LD is go, and you have permission to launch. 557 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:26,900 {\an1}The bouncing in my leg is accelerating 558 00:26:26,966 --> 00:26:29,766 {\an1}as we're getting closer. (chuckles) 559 00:26:29,833 --> 00:26:33,200 {\an1}(chatter on computer) 560 00:26:33,266 --> 00:26:36,433 28 seconds, 28 seconds to launch. 561 00:26:36,500 --> 00:26:38,466 NASA ANNOUNCER: Eight, 562 00:26:38,533 --> 00:26:43,733 {\an1}seven, six, five, four, engine ignition, two... 563 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:44,800 WOMAN: Zero. 564 00:26:45,966 --> 00:26:48,266 NASA ANNOUNCER: Release... and lift off. 565 00:26:48,333 --> 00:26:51,033 ♪ 566 00:26:51,100 --> 00:26:53,666 (exhales) 567 00:26:53,733 --> 00:26:56,800 (cheers) 568 00:26:56,866 --> 00:27:00,233 WOMAN: Damn! 569 00:27:00,300 --> 00:27:03,266 (cheers) 570 00:27:03,333 --> 00:27:04,266 WOMAN: There it is. 571 00:27:04,333 --> 00:27:07,033 {\an1}There it is, there it is! 572 00:27:07,100 --> 00:27:11,833 ♪ 573 00:27:11,900 --> 00:27:13,366 (laughs) 574 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:17,900 (laughing) 575 00:27:17,966 --> 00:27:20,900 (cheering) 576 00:27:22,633 --> 00:27:24,666 {\an1}(Morillo exclaims) 577 00:27:24,733 --> 00:27:26,833 MORILLO: I'm a little bit speechless 578 00:27:26,900 --> 00:27:28,200 {\an1}with what just happened. 579 00:27:28,266 --> 00:27:30,566 {\an1}It's surreal, I, I don't know what else to say 580 00:27:30,633 --> 00:27:33,300 {\an1}other than, I still can't believe that I just saw that. 581 00:27:33,366 --> 00:27:36,500 {\an1}It's pretty magical, you know, it's, uh... 582 00:27:36,566 --> 00:27:37,666 {\an1}What we get to do. 583 00:27:37,733 --> 00:27:39,233 {\an1}(laughter, applause) 584 00:27:39,300 --> 00:27:42,900 {\an1}MORILLO: I'm terrified and really excited, but it's scary. 585 00:27:42,966 --> 00:27:47,766 {\an1}NARRATOR: Perseveranceis on its seven-month journey to Mars. 586 00:27:47,833 --> 00:27:50,433 {\an1}But for Elio Morillo, 587 00:27:50,500 --> 00:27:53,466 {\an1}the hardest work has just begun. 588 00:27:53,533 --> 00:27:55,300 (scooter starts) 589 00:27:55,366 --> 00:27:59,800 MORILLO: We're working around the clock. 590 00:27:59,866 --> 00:28:01,576 {\an1}Tonight, for example, I have to go in at 7:00 591 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,633 {\an1}and I won't leave probably till 4:00 in the morning. 592 00:28:04,700 --> 00:28:06,709 {\an1}And that's kind of the nature of the work to make sure 593 00:28:06,733 --> 00:28:08,266 {\an1}we prepare for our landing 594 00:28:08,333 --> 00:28:11,833 {\an1}on the red planet. 595 00:28:11,900 --> 00:28:14,100 {\an1}We are working with the Earth version 596 00:28:14,166 --> 00:28:15,466 of Perseverance, 597 00:28:15,533 --> 00:28:16,833 {\an1}which we've calledOptimism. 598 00:28:16,900 --> 00:28:21,533 {\an1}The rover and the computer that it has on board 599 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:25,766 {\an1}is exactly the same as the one that's onPerseverance. 600 00:28:25,833 --> 00:28:28,233 {\an1}My job is, is literally the one they portray 601 00:28:28,300 --> 00:28:29,600 {\an1}in, in "The Martian." 602 00:28:29,666 --> 00:28:31,566 {\an1}Is this the replica? - This is her. 603 00:28:31,633 --> 00:28:33,400 Okay, let's see it. 604 00:28:33,466 --> 00:28:36,433 {\an1}MORILLO: Where there's a lab that has the Earth versions 605 00:28:36,500 --> 00:28:38,766 {\an1}of all the vehicles... Pathfinder. 606 00:28:38,833 --> 00:28:42,700 {\an1}I work in the real lab that has the Earth version 607 00:28:42,766 --> 00:28:46,366 {\an1}of all the vehicles that have gone to Mars. 608 00:28:46,433 --> 00:28:49,066 NARRATOR: It's called the Mars Yard. 609 00:28:49,133 --> 00:28:51,200 ♪ 610 00:28:51,266 --> 00:28:55,366 Here, Optimism, Perseverance's twin, 611 00:28:55,433 --> 00:28:57,266 {\an1}faces some of the same challenges Perseverance 612 00:28:57,333 --> 00:29:00,866 {\an1}will face on Mars. 613 00:29:00,933 --> 00:29:03,033 {\an1}The only real way to do that is through simulation. 614 00:29:03,100 --> 00:29:06,900 {\an1}So the Mars Yard is where we actually perform driving. 615 00:29:06,966 --> 00:29:12,800 {\an1}We have soil that kind of looks like Martian sand, if you will. 616 00:29:12,866 --> 00:29:15,100 {\an1}There are rocks that we replicate. 617 00:29:15,166 --> 00:29:18,700 {\an1}And we have slopes, as well, so that we can climb the vehicle 618 00:29:18,766 --> 00:29:20,633 on the slopes. 619 00:29:20,700 --> 00:29:21,633 In doing that, 620 00:29:21,700 --> 00:29:23,666 {\an1}we typically will find bugs. 621 00:29:23,733 --> 00:29:28,833 {\an1}NARRATOR: Glitches in the software, the rover's brain. 622 00:29:28,900 --> 00:29:31,033 MORILLO: And as we come up with fixes, 623 00:29:31,100 --> 00:29:34,600 {\an1}we will uplink those fixes to the real vehicle. 624 00:29:34,666 --> 00:29:37,400 {\an1}And that is the purpose of my team. 625 00:29:37,466 --> 00:29:39,833 {\an1}So that, hopefully, we find these issues 626 00:29:39,900 --> 00:29:41,700 {\an1}before they happen on the real vehicle. 627 00:29:41,766 --> 00:29:43,766 ♪ 628 00:29:43,833 --> 00:29:46,533 {\an1}In case things go wrong, we better figure out how to fix it 629 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:48,066 {\an1}through software, 630 00:29:48,133 --> 00:29:52,866 {\an1}because at this point in time, we can't send mechanics to Mars. 631 00:29:52,933 --> 00:29:54,366 I'm an avid user of social media. 632 00:29:54,433 --> 00:29:57,166 {\an1}And some of the images I've posted are 633 00:29:57,233 --> 00:29:59,466 {\an1}of myself working on the vehicle. 634 00:29:59,533 --> 00:30:01,300 {\an1}I think personally, 635 00:30:01,366 --> 00:30:04,400 {\an1}being a Hispanic man, it's very important for people like me 636 00:30:04,466 --> 00:30:06,933 {\an1}to understand that there are people that look and sound 637 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:10,733 {\an1}like me that are working on such technologies. 638 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:12,133 {\an1}That is why I share what I do. 639 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:13,733 {\an1}And I like to show people 640 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:15,560 {\an1}what we're doing, because it's pretty unique. 641 00:30:17,333 --> 00:30:19,366 {\an1}NARRATOR: A few months after Perseverance lands 642 00:30:19,433 --> 00:30:21,000 {\an1}on the red planet, 643 00:30:21,066 --> 00:30:24,433 {\an7}it will drop a special little package on the surface 644 00:30:24,500 --> 00:30:30,133 {\an7}that could revolutionize the future of space exploration. 645 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:33,766 {\an1}A tiny copter named Ingenuity 646 00:30:33,833 --> 00:30:38,900 {\an1}could be the first aircraft to fly on another planet. 647 00:30:38,966 --> 00:30:40,486 BOB BALARAM: When we first proposed it, 648 00:30:40,533 --> 00:30:43,300 {\an7}there were a number of naysayers, even at JPL, 649 00:30:43,366 --> 00:30:45,233 {\an7}who said, "Oh, this thing can never fly." 650 00:30:45,300 --> 00:30:47,066 {\an7}I thought it was going to be challenging 651 00:30:47,133 --> 00:30:48,133 {\an7}every step of the way. 652 00:30:49,766 --> 00:30:51,500 {\an1}In fact, at the beginning, 653 00:30:51,566 --> 00:30:53,300 {\an1}it was the question of even feasibility. 654 00:30:53,366 --> 00:30:54,800 Can it be done? 655 00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:58,833 {\an1}NARRATOR: What makes flying on Mars so challenging 656 00:30:58,900 --> 00:31:02,866 {\an1}is its extremely thin atmosphere... 657 00:31:02,933 --> 00:31:06,133 {\an1}100 times thinner than Earth's. 658 00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:09,600 {\an1}The thinner the atmosphere, the harder it is 659 00:31:09,666 --> 00:31:13,933 {\an1}for a helicopter to generate lift. 660 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:15,500 AUNG: Fundamentally, a helicopter 661 00:31:15,566 --> 00:31:17,633 flies, you know, by first generating lift, 662 00:31:17,700 --> 00:31:21,133 {\an1}and the lift is generated by the blades 663 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:23,966 pushing the air, 664 00:31:24,033 --> 00:31:25,600 {\an1}and that provides the lift. 665 00:31:27,266 --> 00:31:30,766 {\an1}NARRATOR: On helicopters, the blades are curved on top, 666 00:31:30,833 --> 00:31:35,500 {\an1}and are also angled to redirect the airflow downward. 667 00:31:35,566 --> 00:31:38,766 {\an1}Because of this design, as they rotate, 668 00:31:38,833 --> 00:31:41,800 {\an1}the air pressure on top of the blades decreases 669 00:31:41,866 --> 00:31:47,333 {\an1}and the air pressure underneath the blades increases. 670 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:51,733 {\an1}That difference in pressure pushes the helicopter up. 671 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:56,466 {\an1}Earth's dense, thick atmosphere helps make lift possible. 672 00:31:56,533 --> 00:31:58,733 ♪ 673 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:01,166 {\an1}In order to fly on Mars, 674 00:32:01,233 --> 00:32:03,533 {\an1}the team had to find a way to compensate 675 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:05,766 {\an1}for its thin atmosphere. 676 00:32:05,833 --> 00:32:09,866 {\an1}To rethink the physics of flight. 677 00:32:09,933 --> 00:32:14,000 {\an1}AUNG: You have to build a vehicle that has a large blade, you know, 678 00:32:14,066 --> 00:32:18,233 {\an1}significantly large proportional to the size of the vehicle. 679 00:32:18,300 --> 00:32:20,300 {\an1}And the blades have to spin very fast 680 00:32:20,366 --> 00:32:22,733 {\an1}and the vehicle has to be very light. 681 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:29,133 {\an1}NARRATOR: In 2018, the team took their copter on a test run. 682 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:33,600 {\an1}This special chamber has had most of the air sucked out of it 683 00:32:33,666 --> 00:32:38,466 {\an1}so it can accurately mimic the thin atmosphere of Mars. 684 00:32:38,533 --> 00:32:40,100 AUNG: This is a moment of truth. 685 00:32:40,166 --> 00:32:41,766 {\an1}You send the command, 686 00:32:41,833 --> 00:32:43,766 {\an1}the helicopter is sitting on the ground, 687 00:32:43,833 --> 00:32:45,733 {\an1}and it starts spinning. 688 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:47,800 {\an1}And the danger was, is it going to start, you know, 689 00:32:47,866 --> 00:32:50,733 {\an1}skittering across the, the chamber floor? 690 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:55,200 {\an1}(blades whirring) 691 00:32:55,266 --> 00:32:57,400 {\an1}The vehicle was perfect. 692 00:32:57,466 --> 00:32:58,626 {\an1}It was balanced so perfectly. 693 00:32:58,666 --> 00:33:01,733 {\an1}(blades whirring) 694 00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:03,966 {\an1}Our minds go back to what the Wright brothers 695 00:33:04,033 --> 00:33:06,033 {\an1}must have gone through. 696 00:33:06,100 --> 00:33:08,233 The first moment they took flight, 697 00:33:08,300 --> 00:33:10,466 {\an1}they must have felt 698 00:33:10,533 --> 00:33:13,033 {\an1}the emotion, the feeling, 699 00:33:13,100 --> 00:33:16,500 {\an1}the reward they were looking for. 700 00:33:16,566 --> 00:33:18,133 {\an1}(blades whirring) 701 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:19,966 BALARAM: It's been a long journey. 702 00:33:20,033 --> 00:33:21,233 {\an1}We've done all the testing 703 00:33:21,300 --> 00:33:23,766 here on Earth, and now it's time to go to Mars 704 00:33:23,833 --> 00:33:26,500 {\an1}and prove that this thing can really fly 705 00:33:26,566 --> 00:33:29,133 {\an1}in the actual environment of Mars. 706 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:31,066 ♪ 707 00:33:31,133 --> 00:33:34,066 NARRATOR: If all works as planned, 708 00:33:34,133 --> 00:33:39,800 {\an1}Ingenuity will take a series of flights over about 30 days, 709 00:33:39,866 --> 00:33:43,933 {\an1}venturing farther with each flight. 710 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:46,433 AUNG: When astronauts get to Mars, 711 00:33:46,500 --> 00:33:47,833 {\an1}you know, in the future, 712 00:33:47,900 --> 00:33:50,433 {\an1}being able to scout and survey 713 00:33:50,500 --> 00:33:52,500 and just having the aerial dimension 714 00:33:52,566 --> 00:33:53,566 will be crucial. 715 00:33:53,633 --> 00:33:55,400 ♪ 716 00:33:55,466 --> 00:33:56,942 {\an1}BALARAM: To make the whole planet accessible 717 00:33:56,966 --> 00:33:58,166 {\an1}through a new form of mobility 718 00:33:58,233 --> 00:34:01,433 {\an1}is going to be transforming in terms of what it does 719 00:34:01,500 --> 00:34:02,433 for exploration. 720 00:34:02,500 --> 00:34:06,433 (whirring) 721 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:11,300 {\an1}NARRATOR: Another passenger on Perseverance 722 00:34:11,366 --> 00:34:15,366 {\an1}could help turn our sci-fi dreams of human exploration 723 00:34:15,433 --> 00:34:17,500 into a reality. 724 00:34:17,566 --> 00:34:19,800 {\an1}In fact, in the feature film 725 00:34:19,866 --> 00:34:21,766 "The Martian," 726 00:34:21,833 --> 00:34:24,800 {\an1}Mark Watney couldn't have survived without it. 727 00:34:24,866 --> 00:34:26,833 JEFFREY HOFFMAN: In the movie "The Martian," 728 00:34:26,900 --> 00:34:31,066 {\an7}there was a mention of a device called an oxygenator. 729 00:34:31,133 --> 00:34:33,333 Everything here that's keeping me alive... 730 00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:35,466 The oxygenator, the water reclaimer... 731 00:34:35,533 --> 00:34:36,809 HOFFMAN: Which we like to think of 732 00:34:36,833 --> 00:34:41,200 {\an1}as the, maybe the great-great-grandchild of Moxie. 733 00:34:41,266 --> 00:34:42,766 ♪ 734 00:34:42,833 --> 00:34:45,600 NARRATOR: This little gold box named Moxie 735 00:34:45,666 --> 00:34:48,966 {\an1}will test whether it's possible to take deadly Martian air 736 00:34:49,033 --> 00:34:51,933 {\an1}and create breathable air. 737 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:53,700 ♪ 738 00:34:53,766 --> 00:34:56,300 The air on Mars is not only thin, 739 00:34:56,366 --> 00:35:00,833 {\an7}it's rich with carbon dioxide... CO2. 740 00:35:00,900 --> 00:35:03,600 {\an7}HOFFMAN: So what we're trying to do with Moxie is to take 741 00:35:03,666 --> 00:35:05,666 {\an7}a carbon dioxide molecule... 742 00:35:05,733 --> 00:35:09,400 {\an8}CO2, one carbon, two oxygen atoms... 743 00:35:09,466 --> 00:35:12,000 {\an7}and split off one of those oxygen atoms. 744 00:35:13,833 --> 00:35:17,000 {\an7}NARRATOR: An oxygen atom doesn't like to be alone. 745 00:35:17,066 --> 00:35:20,233 {\an7}After it breaks away from the carbon dioxide, 746 00:35:20,300 --> 00:35:24,400 {\an7}it joins with another oxygen atom, creating O2, 747 00:35:24,466 --> 00:35:28,166 {\an7}which is in the air that we breathe. 748 00:35:28,233 --> 00:35:33,133 {\an1}Here on Earth, the atmosphere has plenty of O2, 749 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:35,766 {\an1}thanks to photosynthesis. 750 00:35:35,833 --> 00:35:37,500 {\an1}We take all that oxygen for granted. 751 00:35:39,700 --> 00:35:40,933 {\an1}When we're on Mars, 752 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:42,900 {\an7}we have to make the best of what we've got 753 00:35:42,966 --> 00:35:44,466 {\an7}and get our oxygen 754 00:35:44,533 --> 00:35:47,466 {\an1}out of that carbon dioxide. 755 00:35:47,533 --> 00:35:48,700 NARRATOR: Breathable oxygen 756 00:35:48,766 --> 00:35:53,333 {\an1}will be crucial for humans to survive on Mars. 757 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:54,866 HOFFMAN: There's no question, 758 00:35:54,933 --> 00:35:58,333 {\an1}if I were going to Mars, I would want oxygen to breathe. 759 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:01,466 {\an1}But that's not anywhere near 760 00:36:01,533 --> 00:36:05,133 {\an1}the, the major requirement for oxygen. 761 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:07,400 {\an1}Assuming that I want to leave the surface of Mars 762 00:36:07,466 --> 00:36:10,900 {\an1}and get back to orbit and, and catch my ride home to Earth, 763 00:36:10,966 --> 00:36:13,866 {\an1}I'm going to need a lot of propellant in a rocket 764 00:36:13,933 --> 00:36:16,433 {\an1}to get me off the surface of Mars. 765 00:36:16,500 --> 00:36:19,100 {\an1}Tens of tons, in fact. 766 00:36:19,166 --> 00:36:22,233 {\an1}Whether you have a campfire, 767 00:36:22,300 --> 00:36:24,200 whether you have an internal combustion engine 768 00:36:24,266 --> 00:36:26,200 {\an1}in a car or a truck... 769 00:36:26,266 --> 00:36:27,933 {\an1}anytime you'd want to burn something, 770 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:29,866 {\an1}you need two things: 771 00:36:29,933 --> 00:36:31,966 you need a fuel and you need oxygen. 772 00:36:32,033 --> 00:36:36,066 {\an1}NARRATOR: To take off from the surface of Mars with a crew 773 00:36:36,133 --> 00:36:40,100 {\an1}of four, in a rocket about the size of this pickup truck, 774 00:36:40,166 --> 00:36:44,200 {\an1}how much fuel and oxygen do you need? 775 00:36:44,266 --> 00:36:45,509 {\an1}Oh, we need about seven tons of fuel. 776 00:36:45,533 --> 00:36:47,133 {\an1}That's a lot of fuel. 777 00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:51,066 {\an1}And we need about 25 tons 778 00:36:51,133 --> 00:36:56,466 of liquid oxygen to burn all that fuel. 779 00:36:56,533 --> 00:36:58,200 {\an1}To picture how much that weighs, 780 00:36:58,266 --> 00:37:01,900 {\an1}we can start with a five-gallon jug of water, 781 00:37:01,966 --> 00:37:05,066 {\an1}the kind that we put on top of the water coolers. 782 00:37:05,133 --> 00:37:07,433 {\an1}If we wanted to put that much liquid oxygen 783 00:37:07,500 --> 00:37:09,133 {\an1}in those water jugs, 784 00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:14,066 {\an1}we would have over 1,300 of those jugs. 785 00:37:14,133 --> 00:37:16,600 {\an1}So imagine putting 1,320 786 00:37:16,666 --> 00:37:19,366 {\an1}water bottles in the back of this truck. 787 00:37:19,433 --> 00:37:22,133 ♪ 788 00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:26,100 {\an1}That would be tens-of-feet-high stack of water bottles. 789 00:37:26,166 --> 00:37:29,333 {\an1}Too much even for the water bottle delivery van, 790 00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:31,333 {\an1}never mind this little pickup. 791 00:37:34,333 --> 00:37:38,100 {\an1}That oxygen turns out to be the single heaviest thing 792 00:37:38,166 --> 00:37:39,333 {\an1}we would need to take 793 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:44,500 {\an1}on a mission to Mars with astronauts. 794 00:37:44,566 --> 00:37:50,566 {\an1}It dominates the cost and the complexity of the mission. 795 00:37:50,633 --> 00:37:54,266 {\an1}So what if we can start living off the land? 796 00:37:54,333 --> 00:37:58,500 {\an1}By saying, "We're not going to bring any oxygen with us. 797 00:37:58,566 --> 00:38:01,533 {\an1}"We're going to make it on Mars and use the oxygen that we make 798 00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:05,766 {\an1}"to fuel the rocket that will take our astronauts home, 799 00:38:05,833 --> 00:38:08,033 {\an1}that will take Mark Watney home." 800 00:38:08,100 --> 00:38:09,733 ♪ 801 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:14,266 {\an1}NARRATOR: If Moxie can efficiently create burnable 802 00:38:14,333 --> 00:38:18,133 {\an1}oxygen, then the sci-fi dream of human exploration of Mars 803 00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:21,300 {\an1}may become a reality. 804 00:38:21,366 --> 00:38:23,466 {\an1}FARLEY: It's clear that the United States 805 00:38:23,533 --> 00:38:25,300 {\an1}is putting in a big effort 806 00:38:25,366 --> 00:38:26,833 {\an7}to send astronauts to Mars. 807 00:38:26,900 --> 00:38:29,733 {\an7}And, and the technologies that we are demonstrating 808 00:38:29,800 --> 00:38:31,666 {\an7}are going to make that easier. 809 00:38:31,733 --> 00:38:33,400 ♪ 810 00:38:33,466 --> 00:38:37,566 {\an1}NARRATOR: Perseverance will test technology that will take 811 00:38:37,633 --> 00:38:40,000 {\an1}exploration into the future as it collects samples 812 00:38:40,066 --> 00:38:43,266 of Martian rock. 813 00:38:43,333 --> 00:38:46,466 Once it's done, how will these samples 814 00:38:46,533 --> 00:38:49,966 {\an1}make their way back home? 815 00:38:50,033 --> 00:38:52,166 {\an1}ALBERT HALDEMAN: Mars Sample Return really is an 816 00:38:52,233 --> 00:38:54,566 {\an1}international program between NASA and ESA. 817 00:38:54,633 --> 00:38:57,000 ♪ 818 00:38:57,066 --> 00:38:58,542 {\an1}KELLY GEELEN: We all come from different backgrounds 819 00:38:58,566 --> 00:39:00,300 {\an1}and we have, of course, different roles 820 00:39:00,366 --> 00:39:01,666 {\an1}to play in the bigger picture. 821 00:39:01,733 --> 00:39:03,409 {\an1}But everybody is working towards the same goal. 822 00:39:03,433 --> 00:39:06,200 {\an1}If you think about it, it's amazing 823 00:39:06,266 --> 00:39:08,800 {\an7}how a collaboration across the globe can come together 824 00:39:08,866 --> 00:39:11,200 {\an7}to do such an amazing thing. 825 00:39:11,266 --> 00:39:15,466 {\an1}NARRATOR: Current plans call for another lander to travel to Mars 826 00:39:15,533 --> 00:39:17,800 within a decade, 827 00:39:17,866 --> 00:39:19,933 {\an1}and a multi-part mission 828 00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:22,833 {\an1}to bring the sample tubes back to Earth will begin. 829 00:39:24,366 --> 00:39:26,442 {\an1}ALASTAIR WAYMAN: It would be a big risk, a big gamble, 830 00:39:26,466 --> 00:39:29,300 {\an7}to bet the whole of Mars Sample Return on the fact that 831 00:39:29,366 --> 00:39:32,533 {\an7}Perseverance would still be alive and fully functional 832 00:39:32,600 --> 00:39:35,400 {\an7}after almost a decade on the surface of Mars. 833 00:39:35,466 --> 00:39:40,400 {\an1}NARRATOR: So researchers across the globe must prepare 834 00:39:40,466 --> 00:39:42,100 {\an1}for different scenarios. 835 00:39:42,166 --> 00:39:46,066 {\an7}The Perseverance rover has the possibility to either hang on 836 00:39:46,133 --> 00:39:49,066 {\an7}to sample tubes or drop them onto the surface. 837 00:39:49,133 --> 00:39:52,566 NARRATOR: Just north of London, 838 00:39:52,633 --> 00:39:54,366 {\an1}engineers at Airbus 839 00:39:54,433 --> 00:39:57,600 {\an1}are preparing for one of these scenarios. 840 00:39:57,666 --> 00:40:01,433 Meet Fetch. 841 00:40:01,500 --> 00:40:07,000 {\an1}Think of this little rover as a celestial messenger service. 842 00:40:07,066 --> 00:40:08,709 {\an1}VIJENDRAN: Perseverance will drop the sample tubes 843 00:40:08,733 --> 00:40:09,966 {\an1}on the surface of Mars, 844 00:40:10,033 --> 00:40:13,600 {\an1}drive a little bit away, and take a lot of good photos 845 00:40:13,666 --> 00:40:16,533 {\an1}to document exactly where the sample has landed. 846 00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:18,333 {\an1}And we will be able to direct 847 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:22,666 {\an1}the Sample Fetch Rover to the general area 848 00:40:22,733 --> 00:40:26,966 {\an1}within a meter or so of the actual samples on the surface. 849 00:40:28,666 --> 00:40:31,566 {\an1}NARRATOR: Once Fetch gets close, it will need to find 850 00:40:31,633 --> 00:40:34,966 {\an1}the sample tubes on its own. 851 00:40:35,033 --> 00:40:38,300 {\an1}WAYMAN: We need to have autonomous systems on board 852 00:40:38,366 --> 00:40:41,000 {\an1}that can take a picture of the scene in front of it, 853 00:40:41,066 --> 00:40:42,433 {\an1}identify what's a rock, 854 00:40:42,500 --> 00:40:43,666 {\an1}identify what's a crack, 855 00:40:43,733 --> 00:40:47,033 {\an1}identify what is the tubes. 856 00:40:47,100 --> 00:40:50,233 {\an1}NARRATOR: Fetch starts by taking a picture of the general area 857 00:40:50,300 --> 00:40:52,700 {\an1}where the tubes should be. 858 00:40:52,766 --> 00:40:56,600 {\an1}So this is the raw image that we've taken right as we've 859 00:40:56,666 --> 00:40:58,466 {\an1}approached the sample tubes. 860 00:40:58,533 --> 00:41:01,266 {\an1}You can see on the raw image that there's clearly a number 861 00:41:01,333 --> 00:41:03,000 {\an1}of tubes dotted around the terrain, 862 00:41:03,066 --> 00:41:04,700 {\an1}as well as a couple of rocks. 863 00:41:04,766 --> 00:41:09,566 {\an1}NARRATOR: Through a series of steps, it decodes the scene, 864 00:41:09,633 --> 00:41:14,933 {\an1}homing in on the tubes based on their shape and color. 865 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:18,000 {\an1}WAYMAN: In the times that the tubes are on the surface, 866 00:41:18,066 --> 00:41:22,033 {\an1}there will certainly be some form of dust deposition on them. 867 00:41:22,100 --> 00:41:24,466 {\an1}Sand might build up adrift on one side of the tubes. 868 00:41:24,533 --> 00:41:27,266 {\an1}But it's not going to be a thick coating 869 00:41:27,333 --> 00:41:29,533 {\an1}that completely obscures it. 870 00:41:29,600 --> 00:41:33,133 {\an1}NARRATOR: Fetch comes up with a plan to grab the tubes, 871 00:41:33,200 --> 00:41:37,666 {\an1}but it can't do it without Delian, 872 00:41:37,733 --> 00:41:42,600 {\an1}a savvy robotic arm being developed in Italy. 873 00:41:42,666 --> 00:41:47,266 {\an1}This lightweight arm is equipped with a brain of its own. 874 00:41:47,333 --> 00:41:50,200 {\an7}This operation must be performed autonomously 875 00:41:50,266 --> 00:41:53,400 {\an7}with the vision system. 876 00:41:53,466 --> 00:41:57,500 {\an1}NARRATOR: In other words, the brain of the rover 877 00:41:57,566 --> 00:42:01,500 {\an1}and the brain of the arm work together to locate 878 00:42:01,566 --> 00:42:04,200 {\an1}and pick up the samples. 879 00:42:04,266 --> 00:42:07,333 {\an1}WAYMAN: Being able to do that is something that's, 880 00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:09,566 {\an1}that's completely new, completely novel. 881 00:42:09,633 --> 00:42:12,033 {\an1}It's not been done on any Mars missions before. 882 00:42:12,100 --> 00:42:14,233 {\an1}So it's something that's a key development challenge 883 00:42:14,300 --> 00:42:15,600 {\an1}that, that we're working on. 884 00:42:15,666 --> 00:42:18,666 ♪ 885 00:42:18,733 --> 00:42:21,600 {\an1}NARRATOR: Once it collects the tubes, Fetch will bring them 886 00:42:21,666 --> 00:42:24,366 {\an1}to a pint-sized rocket. 887 00:42:24,433 --> 00:42:26,700 HALDEMAN: The most challenging element 888 00:42:26,766 --> 00:42:29,900 {\an7}of that whole architecture is going to be launching 889 00:42:29,966 --> 00:42:31,033 {\an7}a rocket off of Mars. 890 00:42:33,633 --> 00:42:35,466 {\an1}That is super-ambitious. 891 00:42:35,533 --> 00:42:38,433 {\an1}That will be a first. 892 00:42:38,500 --> 00:42:42,600 {\an1}NARRATOR: The rocket, designed by NASA, will release the 893 00:42:42,666 --> 00:42:45,233 {\an1}samples, which will be grabbed by another orbiter, 894 00:42:45,300 --> 00:42:47,033 designed by ESA. 895 00:42:47,100 --> 00:42:48,900 GEELEN: The Earth Return Orbiter 896 00:42:48,966 --> 00:42:53,833 {\an1}is hurtling around the Martian planet by 7,600 miles per hour. 897 00:42:53,900 --> 00:42:56,733 {\an1}The job for an orbiter is to slightly adjust its velocity 898 00:42:56,800 --> 00:43:01,800 {\an1}to make sure that we can capture this basketball inside a hoop. 899 00:43:01,866 --> 00:43:03,733 {\an1}We'll have some sort of trap door that opens, 900 00:43:03,800 --> 00:43:06,900 {\an1}and then we'll basically swallow this basketball up 901 00:43:06,966 --> 00:43:10,466 {\an1}and put it into our spacecraft. 902 00:43:10,533 --> 00:43:13,833 {\an1}HALDEMAN: Through various stages of mechanisms and airlocks, 903 00:43:13,900 --> 00:43:18,266 {\an1}if you will, put it inside a Earth entry vehicle 904 00:43:18,333 --> 00:43:21,466 {\an1}that itself will be clean, 905 00:43:21,533 --> 00:43:25,733 {\an1}and we will have these various layers that will protect 906 00:43:25,800 --> 00:43:28,866 {\an1}the Earth when we bring that sample back from Mars. 907 00:43:28,933 --> 00:43:34,200 {\an1}NARRATOR: To protect Earth from whatever the samples contain. 908 00:43:34,266 --> 00:43:38,266 {\an1}PITTS: Incredible safeguards are being developed 909 00:43:38,333 --> 00:43:43,400 {\an7}to make sure that any object brought from Mars 910 00:43:43,466 --> 00:43:47,666 {\an7}remains in an environment that is completely cut off 911 00:43:47,733 --> 00:43:53,300 {\an1}from Earth environment in every possible instance and manner. 912 00:43:53,366 --> 00:43:56,566 {\an7}The nice thing about sample return is, we've done it 913 00:43:56,633 --> 00:43:57,833 {\an7}in the past with the moon... 914 00:43:57,900 --> 00:43:59,533 {\an1}the Apollo samples. 915 00:43:59,600 --> 00:44:02,500 {\an1}Samples were treated as hazardous 916 00:44:02,566 --> 00:44:04,733 {\an1}until they could prove that it did not affect 917 00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:07,000 {\an1}humans negatively. 918 00:44:07,066 --> 00:44:09,733 {\an1}And the same thing will be done for any sample return mission. 919 00:44:09,800 --> 00:44:11,733 {\an1}The items are treated as potentially hazardous 920 00:44:11,800 --> 00:44:14,633 {\an1}until we know that it's safe. 921 00:44:14,700 --> 00:44:16,633 {\an1}You want to be overly cautious, 922 00:44:16,700 --> 00:44:20,200 {\an1}you want to sure that you prove without a shadow of a doubt 923 00:44:20,266 --> 00:44:22,233 {\an1}that it is not hazardous to humans. 924 00:44:22,300 --> 00:44:24,100 ♪ 925 00:44:24,166 --> 00:44:25,776 {\an1}NARRATOR: But long before we would confront 926 00:44:25,800 --> 00:44:29,233 {\an1}any potential danger from Martian samples, 927 00:44:29,300 --> 00:44:34,166 {\an1}Perseverance must land where no rover has dared land before. 928 00:44:34,233 --> 00:44:40,333 {\an7}Back in May 2019, in the heart of Death Valley, 929 00:44:40,400 --> 00:44:44,100 {\an1}a team of engineers test a new autonomous landing system 930 00:44:44,166 --> 00:44:47,133 {\an1}they hope will give their rover the ability 931 00:44:47,200 --> 00:44:48,533 {\an1}to steer out of trouble... 932 00:44:48,600 --> 00:44:52,033 {\an1}to be its own pilot. 933 00:44:52,100 --> 00:44:53,166 {\an7}We get one chance. 934 00:44:53,233 --> 00:44:54,600 {\an7}We have no opportunity to fix it. 935 00:44:54,666 --> 00:44:57,066 {\an7}And it has to work the very first time. 936 00:44:57,133 --> 00:45:02,400 {\an1}NARRATOR: Inside this trailer is a makeshift mission headquarters 937 00:45:02,466 --> 00:45:05,966 {\an1}where they will monitor if the new landing system 938 00:45:06,033 --> 00:45:07,700 actually works. 939 00:45:07,766 --> 00:45:10,600 {\an1}Our previous missions really only had one computer, 940 00:45:10,666 --> 00:45:13,766 {\an1}one brain, that was doing the entire entry, descent, 941 00:45:13,833 --> 00:45:15,233 {\an1}and landing sequence. 942 00:45:15,300 --> 00:45:16,233 Now we have two. 943 00:45:16,300 --> 00:45:17,900 ♪ 944 00:45:17,966 --> 00:45:20,800 {\an1}NARRATOR: Two brains that must work hand in hand to guide 945 00:45:20,866 --> 00:45:25,766 {\an1}the rover to land safely near the delta of Jezero Crater. 946 00:45:25,833 --> 00:45:28,133 {\an1}CHEN: That delta has created this cliff that's, like, 947 00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:30,066 {\an1}60 to 80 meters tall, 948 00:45:30,133 --> 00:45:31,542 {\an7}kind of along the lines of how tall we're seeing 949 00:45:31,566 --> 00:45:33,033 {\an7}the terrain behind us. 950 00:45:33,100 --> 00:45:39,800 {\an1}NARRATOR: The rover must land close to it, not crash into it. 951 00:45:39,866 --> 00:45:43,033 {\an1}To test the rover's new brains, 952 00:45:43,100 --> 00:45:46,466 {\an1}the team secures one on the nose of a helicopter 953 00:45:46,533 --> 00:45:50,466 {\an1}and the other behind the cockpit. 954 00:45:52,766 --> 00:45:54,733 {\an1}The helicopter, and brains, 955 00:45:54,800 --> 00:45:57,733 take off... 956 00:45:57,800 --> 00:45:59,533 {\an1}...heading to a section of Death Valley 957 00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:01,800 {\an1}that looks remarkably like 958 00:46:01,866 --> 00:46:05,400 {\an1}the surface of Mars. 959 00:46:05,466 --> 00:46:06,666 ANDREW JOHNSON: Typically, 960 00:46:06,733 --> 00:46:09,233 {\an7}when we do these tests, you start out very nervous, 961 00:46:09,300 --> 00:46:12,033 {\an1}and often things break, 962 00:46:12,100 --> 00:46:14,833 {\an1}and you have to fix them. 963 00:46:14,900 --> 00:46:17,500 {\an1}MOHAN: We're really trying to find the unknown unknowns. 964 00:46:17,566 --> 00:46:19,366 {\an1}What if we didn't think of something that 965 00:46:19,433 --> 00:46:21,400 {\an1}really will affect the mission? 966 00:46:22,500 --> 00:46:23,833 {\an1}Hammer, do you read me? 967 00:46:23,900 --> 00:46:27,833 {\an1}NARRATOR: The helicopter goes above 10,000 feet... 968 00:46:27,900 --> 00:46:30,066 {\an1}CHEN: Which is pretty high for a helicopter to fly. 969 00:46:30,133 --> 00:46:34,066 {\an1}NARRATOR: High enough for the crew to need oxygen, 970 00:46:34,133 --> 00:46:37,066 {\an1}and around the same height where Perseverance will start 971 00:46:37,133 --> 00:46:41,366 {\an1}to use its pilot's brain to land on Mars. 972 00:46:41,433 --> 00:46:43,542 {\an1}CHEN: Just like you and I can take a map and look at it, 973 00:46:43,566 --> 00:46:45,900 {\an1}and then look around and see different landmarks, 974 00:46:45,966 --> 00:46:48,033 {\an1}and see what's, you know, what's where on the map, 975 00:46:48,100 --> 00:46:51,333 {\an1}the rover figures out where it is based on knowing 976 00:46:51,400 --> 00:46:53,533 {\an1}where all the landmarks are in the map 977 00:46:53,600 --> 00:46:55,033 {\an1}and then identifying them. 978 00:46:55,100 --> 00:46:56,833 NARRATOR: A lot like the job 979 00:46:56,900 --> 00:46:58,433 {\an1}Pete Conrad and Alan Bean faced 980 00:46:58,500 --> 00:47:03,066 {\an1}when they landed on the moon on the Apollo 12 mission. 981 00:47:03,133 --> 00:47:04,942 {\an1}ASTRONAUT (on radio): Okay, we're at 19,000 feet. 982 00:47:04,966 --> 00:47:06,766 {\an1}I got some kind of a horizon out there. 983 00:47:06,833 --> 00:47:08,909 {\an1}I got some craters, too, but I don't know where I am yet. 984 00:47:08,933 --> 00:47:11,233 {\an1}CHEN: They were looking out the window 985 00:47:11,300 --> 00:47:13,176 {\an1}at different craters and different features on the moon. 986 00:47:13,200 --> 00:47:15,000 {\an1}ASTRONAUT (on radio): I think I see my crater. 987 00:47:15,033 --> 00:47:16,376 {\an1}CHEN: That they knew of from maps of the moon. 988 00:47:16,400 --> 00:47:18,300 {\an1}ASTRONAUT (on radio): There it is! 989 00:47:18,366 --> 00:47:21,700 {\an1}There it is, oh, my God, right down the middle of the road! 990 00:47:21,766 --> 00:47:24,166 {\an1}CHEN: They figured out where they were. 991 00:47:24,233 --> 00:47:25,442 {\an1}You know, we're doing the same thing that 992 00:47:25,466 --> 00:47:28,566 {\an1}those astronauts did on Apollo 12, just on Mars. 993 00:47:28,633 --> 00:47:30,633 ♪ 994 00:47:30,700 --> 00:47:32,842 {\an1}MOHAN: The vision computer is telling the rover computer, 995 00:47:32,866 --> 00:47:35,400 {\an1}"Here's where I am, here's where I am, here's where I am." 996 00:47:35,466 --> 00:47:37,433 {\an1}The rover computer takes where we are, 997 00:47:37,500 --> 00:47:40,133 {\an1}figures out where we can go, 998 00:47:40,200 --> 00:47:41,566 {\an1}and picks the safest spot 999 00:47:41,633 --> 00:47:44,233 {\an1}in the place where we can actually reach. 1000 00:47:44,300 --> 00:47:47,566 {\an1}And it does all of that in the snap of a finger. 1001 00:47:47,633 --> 00:47:50,000 {\an1}NARRATOR: In the trailer, the team tracks 1002 00:47:50,066 --> 00:47:51,066 {\an1}the brains' progress. 1003 00:47:52,833 --> 00:47:54,933 {\an1}So on this side, we have a map that we've made 1004 00:47:55,000 --> 00:47:56,933 {\an1}of our landing site that we're matching to, 1005 00:47:57,000 --> 00:48:02,200 {\an1}and this is the image that's taken on board. 1006 00:48:02,266 --> 00:48:05,633 {\an1}NARRATOR: The squares on the monitors represent landmarks. 1007 00:48:05,700 --> 00:48:08,400 {\an1}The colors tell them if the brain on the helicopter 1008 00:48:08,466 --> 00:48:11,066 {\an1}is correctly identifying those landmarks 1009 00:48:11,133 --> 00:48:14,433 {\an1}and matching them to its map. 1010 00:48:14,500 --> 00:48:16,400 {\an1}JOHNSON: So green ones are ones that are good, 1011 00:48:16,466 --> 00:48:18,033 {\an1}that we matched correctly, 1012 00:48:18,100 --> 00:48:19,600 {\an1}that the system believes are correct. 1013 00:48:19,666 --> 00:48:23,200 NARRATOR: After six runs over the desert, 1014 00:48:23,266 --> 00:48:25,700 {\an1}there's plenty of green on the map. 1015 00:48:25,766 --> 00:48:30,600 {\an1}The rover's brain appears to be up to the task. 1016 00:48:30,666 --> 00:48:33,400 {\an1}But will it work on Mars? 1017 00:48:35,700 --> 00:48:38,166 {\an1}February 18, 2021. 1018 00:48:38,233 --> 00:48:43,033 {\an1}Almost two years after their test run in Death Valley... 1019 00:48:43,100 --> 00:48:44,966 {\an1}MOHAN: Standing by for cruise stage separation. 1020 00:48:45,033 --> 00:48:49,000 {\an1}NARRATOR: the team attempts to land their rover in Jezero 1021 00:48:49,066 --> 00:48:54,166 {\an1}Crater under circumstances no one could have prepared for. 1022 00:48:54,233 --> 00:48:58,000 {\an1}Because the pandemic still rages across the country, 1023 00:48:58,066 --> 00:49:03,233 {\an1}many team members watch from the safety of home. 1024 00:49:03,300 --> 00:49:05,833 {\an1}YAZZIE: I'm feeling really nervous and excited. 1025 00:49:05,900 --> 00:49:07,733 {\an1}The past five years of my life 1026 00:49:07,800 --> 00:49:09,309 {\an1}has been spent working on this project. 1027 00:49:09,333 --> 00:49:11,733 {\an1}I wish someone could hold my hand. 1028 00:49:11,800 --> 00:49:14,466 BOSAK: Like everything in life, 1029 00:49:14,533 --> 00:49:16,133 you get up 1030 00:49:16,200 --> 00:49:18,533 {\an1}and there's no guarantee that your day will go well. 1031 00:49:18,600 --> 00:49:22,466 NARRATOR: 3:48 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. 1032 00:49:22,533 --> 00:49:27,566 {\an1}Perseverance begins its descent. 1033 00:49:27,633 --> 00:49:29,500 {\an1}MOHAN: We have confirmation of entry interface. 1034 00:49:29,566 --> 00:49:31,533 COOPER: As soon as the spacecraft 1035 00:49:31,600 --> 00:49:33,066 {\an1}hits the top of the atmosphere, 1036 00:49:33,133 --> 00:49:36,966 {\an1}it's minutes between that moment 1037 00:49:37,033 --> 00:49:39,833 {\an1}and landing on the surface of Mars. 1038 00:49:39,900 --> 00:49:42,800 {\an1}NARRATOR: Although there are cameras on board, 1039 00:49:42,866 --> 00:49:46,466 {\an1}the team can't see any imagery during landing. 1040 00:49:46,533 --> 00:49:51,000 {\an1}MOHAN: Navigation has confirmed that the parachute has deployed 1041 00:49:51,066 --> 00:49:53,200 {\an1}and we are seeing significant deceleration. 1042 00:49:53,266 --> 00:49:55,833 {\an1}The parachute has deployed. 1043 00:49:55,900 --> 00:49:58,233 TRUJILLO: When the parachutes opened, 1044 00:49:58,300 --> 00:50:01,333 {\an1}that's big, because you slow down a lot with that one. 1045 00:50:01,400 --> 00:50:03,600 {\an1}CHEN: Even though we're under a huge parachute, 1046 00:50:03,666 --> 00:50:06,666 {\an1}we're still descending at about 200 miles an hour. 1047 00:50:06,733 --> 00:50:08,309 {\an1}That's actually a little faster than, than I'd be going 1048 00:50:08,333 --> 00:50:09,509 {\an1}if I jumped out of a plane and dove headfirst 1049 00:50:09,533 --> 00:50:10,866 {\an1}without a parachute. 1050 00:50:10,933 --> 00:50:14,300 {\an1}MOHAN: Perseverance has now slowed to subsonic speeds 1051 00:50:14,366 --> 00:50:16,333 {\an1}and the heat shield has been separated. 1052 00:50:16,400 --> 00:50:18,533 CLARK: Once the heat shield falls away, 1053 00:50:18,600 --> 00:50:21,800 {\an1}our lander vision system is taking pictures of the surface, 1054 00:50:21,866 --> 00:50:23,733 {\an1}trying to figure out where it wants to land. 1055 00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:25,066 {\an1}We have ten seconds to do that. 1056 00:50:25,133 --> 00:50:27,966 {\an1}Things happen real fast after that. 1057 00:50:28,033 --> 00:50:32,166 {\an1}The vehicle drops itself into, like, free fall, 1058 00:50:32,233 --> 00:50:34,300 {\an1}turns on the retro-rockets. 1059 00:50:34,366 --> 00:50:36,866 MOHAN: Sky crane maneuver has started. 1060 00:50:36,933 --> 00:50:40,333 {\an1}The rover slowly was tethered down to the surface. 1061 00:50:40,400 --> 00:50:44,933 {\an1}It was an incredible, you know, few moments of anticipation. 1062 00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:47,300 {\an1}TRUJILLO: You want to hear it, you're waiting for it, 1063 00:50:47,366 --> 00:50:48,933 {\an1}and then they call it. 1064 00:50:49,000 --> 00:50:51,533 MOHAN: Touchdown confirmed. 1065 00:50:51,600 --> 00:50:54,933 {\an1}Perseverance safely on the surface of Mars. 1066 00:50:55,000 --> 00:50:56,866 Wow. Whew! 1067 00:50:56,933 --> 00:50:59,000 (cheering, Mohan continues) 1068 00:50:59,066 --> 00:51:02,600 BOSAK: Disbelief, excited. 1069 00:51:02,666 --> 00:51:04,633 {\an1}It is incredible. It is incredible. 1070 00:51:04,700 --> 00:51:06,900 Oh, my gosh. 1071 00:51:06,966 --> 00:51:10,066 (cheering) 1072 00:51:10,133 --> 00:51:11,133 Cheers. 1073 00:51:11,166 --> 00:51:12,533 (cheering) 1074 00:51:12,600 --> 00:51:15,133 {\an1}As I was celebrating, the image comes in. 1075 00:51:15,200 --> 00:51:16,900 {\an1}There's a picture! 1076 00:51:16,966 --> 00:51:19,200 TRUJILLO: I just could not believe it, 1077 00:51:19,266 --> 00:51:22,900 {\an1}that Mars was saying hello to Perseverance so quickly. 1078 00:51:22,966 --> 00:51:24,733 YAZZIE: You want to see the dirt, 1079 00:51:24,800 --> 00:51:27,100 {\an1}you want to see the dust on the wheels. 1080 00:51:27,166 --> 00:51:30,100 {\an1}It's real, it actually happened. 1081 00:51:30,166 --> 00:51:33,233 {\an1}I just want to hug somebody! 1082 00:51:33,300 --> 00:51:37,733 {\an1}NARRATOR: Later, actual video of the landing finally comes in. 1083 00:51:37,800 --> 00:51:42,566 {\an1}CLARK: This is just insanely awesome footage. 1084 00:51:42,633 --> 00:51:44,533 James Cameron, eat your heart out. 1085 00:51:44,600 --> 00:51:45,700 (laughs) 1086 00:51:47,800 --> 00:51:53,533 {\an1}Just to see how utterly amazing all of this engineering is, 1087 00:51:53,600 --> 00:51:56,900 {\an1}and all of the stuff that went into making this happen. 1088 00:51:56,966 --> 00:51:58,600 {\an1}The ones and zeros, 1089 00:51:58,666 --> 00:52:01,633 {\an1}and the forces and accelerations and rates, 1090 00:52:01,700 --> 00:52:02,966 {\an1}that doesn't really do justice. 1091 00:52:03,033 --> 00:52:06,033 {\an1}That sort of numerical purity doesn't do justice 1092 00:52:06,100 --> 00:52:08,400 {\an1}to all of the emotion and humanity 1093 00:52:08,466 --> 00:52:11,333 {\an1}that went into making something like this happen. 1094 00:52:13,700 --> 00:52:16,900 {\an1}TRUJILLO: We're not landing as a city or as a country, 1095 00:52:16,966 --> 00:52:19,266 {\an1}we're landing as the blue planet, right? 1096 00:52:19,333 --> 00:52:21,433 {\an1}And the blue planet is going to the red planet, 1097 00:52:21,500 --> 00:52:24,466 {\an1}and we're going to be exploring it together. 1098 00:52:32,066 --> 00:52:35,166 ♪ 1099 00:52:48,466 --> 00:52:51,166 {\an8}♪ 1100 00:53:03,900 --> 00:53:08,033 {\an7}To order this program on DVD, visit ShopPBS 1101 00:53:08,100 --> 00:53:11,400 {\an7}or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS. 1102 00:53:11,466 --> 00:53:14,166 {\an7}Episodes of "NOVA" are available with Passport. 1103 00:53:14,233 --> 00:53:18,333 {\an7}"NOVA" is also available on Amazon Prime Video. 1104 00:53:18,400 --> 00:53:21,300 {\an8}♪