Episode 17 Perseverance: There's a New Rover in Town! - BIIRS Season 2 - a podcast by Anna and Henna

There's a new rover on its way to the Red Planet! Will it find life on Mars? What makes it different from the others rovers? I've heard there was a helicopter involved? Come hang out with your favorite rocket scientists, Anna and Henna, to learn the answers to all these questions and more!

Note: There's an error around 1:12 in the episode, it is mentioned that Mar's is 1% Oxygen, it is actually 1% air.

Music from filmmusic.io
"Tyrant" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Anna’s Sources:
“Curiosity (Rover).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Aug. 2020,

“Curiosity Rover Fact Sheet – NASA's Mars Exploration Program.” NASAfacts, NASA, mars.nasa.gov/resources/24891/curiosity-rover-fact-sheet/.

“The Detective Aboard NASA's Perseverance Rover – NASA's Mars Exploration Program.” NASA, NASA, 26 May 2020,

“Entry, Descent, and Landing Technologies.” NASA, NASA, mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/timeline/landing/entry-descent-landing/.

“How Curiosity Will Land on Mars, Part 1: Entry.” The Planetary Society, www.planetary.org/articles/06221711-how-curiosity-land-part-1.

“How Curiosity Will Land on Mars, Part 2: Descent.” The Planetary Society, www.planetary.org/articles/06290700-how-curiosity-land-part-2.

“The Lander Structure.” NASA, NASA, mars.nasa.gov/mer/mission/spacecraft/entry-descent-and-landing-configuration/lander-structure/.

“Mars 2020.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Aug. 2020

“Mars 2020/Persevenerance.” NASAfacts, NASA, mars.nasa.gov/files/mars2020/Mars2020_Fact_Sheet.pdf.

“Mars Exploration Program.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Aug. 2020

“Mars Exploration Rover Mission: The Mission.” NASA, NASA, mars.nasa.gov/mer/mission/spacecraft_cruise.html

“NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Gets Its Wheels and Air Brakes.” NASA, NASA, 3 Apr. 2020,

“Overview.” NASA, NASA, mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/overview

“Helicopter Engine RPM And Rotorblade Pitch Management.” Redback Aviation, Publisher Name Rotorway International Publisher Logo, 5 June 2017,

“Robotic Arm.” NASA, NASA, mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/rover/arm/.

“WHAT IS TECHNORA?” Doyle Sails, www.doylesails.com/innovation/about-stratis/carbon-technora/technora.

Wolchover, Natalie. “NASA Gives Up On Stuck Mars Rover Spirit.” Space.com, Space, 24 May 2011

Toyota Prius:

“2016 Toyota Prius - Specs.” New, www.new-cars.com/2016/toyota/specs/prius.html.

“Toyota Prius (2016) Dimensions & Drawings.” RSS, www.dimensions.com/element/toyota-prius-2016.

Henna’s Sources:

“AJ-60A.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 July 2020,

“Centaur (Rocket Stage).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Aug. 2020

Greicius, Tony. “NASA Perseverance Mars Rover Scientists Train in the Nevada Desert.” NASA, NASA, 5 May 2020,

Greicius, Tony. “Things Are Stacking up for NASA's Mars 2020 Spacecraft.” NASA, NASA, 18 Apr. 2019,

“Propelling Perseverance: The Legacy of Viking Is Helping NASA Get to Mars.” The Space Review: Propelling Perseverance: The Legacy of Viking Is Helping NASA Get to Mars,

“Landing Site.” NASA, NASA, mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/science/landing-site/.

Mustard, J.F., M. Adler, A. Allwood, D.S. Bass, D.W. Beaty, J.F. Bell III, W.B. Brinckerhoff, M. Carr, D.J. Des Marais, B. Drake, K.S. Edgett, J. Eigenbrode, L.T. Elkins-Tanton, J.A. Grant, S. M. Milkovich, D. Ming, C. Moore, S. Murchie, T.C. Onstott, S.W. Ruff, M.A. Sephton, A. Steele, A. Treiman (2013): Report of the Mars 2020 Science Definition Team, 154 pp., posted July, 2013, by the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) at http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/reports/MEP/Mars_2020_SDT_Report_Final.pdf.

Williams, Matt. “Perseverance Went Into Safe Mode Shortly After Launch, But It's Fine.” Universe Today, 4 Aug. 2020,

NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover VS Curiosity - What's New? What's Improved?, Everyday Astronaut, 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEO77UEFGT4.

Tzinis, Irene. “About the Deep Space Network.” NASA, NASA, 30 Mar. 2020,

Further episodes of But it is Rocket Science

Further podcasts by Anna and Henna

Website of Anna and Henna