From the base of the air forces of the United States at Cape Canaveral (Florida) launched heavy rocket Atlas 5 with the Mars 2020 mission Mars, according to NASA.
Landing platform is sent to an automatic station with solid Rover Perseverance (Perseverance) and a five-pound drone helicopters Ingenuity (Resourcefulness) in February 2021, should land in impact crater Lake, which is believed in ancient times was filled with water.
The cost of works on creation and launch of the project is $ 2.4 billion, which exceeds the budget of Roskosmos for the year 2020 (in the open section, i.e. without taking into account the defensive order). This amount does not include the cost for the first year of the work of the mission, estimated at $ 300 million.
The main purpose of the Mars 2020 program — astrobiology research. The task of the demonstrator aircraft — search for the best and most interesting from a scientific point of view of routes for future Rovers. Also during the Mars 2020 it is planned to collect samples of Martian soil, which needs to be sent to Earth in future missions Mars Sample Return.
In addition to the US in July to own Mars spacecraft sent UAE and China.
