Projects

NASA's Mars 2020 mission will build upon many discoveries from the Curiosity Mars rover and the two Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity by taking the next key steps in our understanding of Mars' potential as a habitat for past or present life. Searching for scientific clues to answer this question means delving into the planet's geologic and climate history to find out how, when, and why Mars underwent dramatic changes to become the harsh planet we observe today. The Mars 2020 rover is designed to seek signs of past life on Mars, collect and store a set soil and rock samples that could be returned to Earth in the future, and test new technology to benefit future robotic and human exploration of Mars.