To Mars and back: exploring the ancient Martian environment with the Perseverance Rover

The MIT Campaign for a Better World is all about rising to meet humanity’s urgent global challenges through the vision and talent of the people of MIT. 

Throughout the MIT community, we turn curiosity into discovery, changing what we know about the world. From the exploratory to the practical to the inspirational, MIT is an unparalleled hub of research and innovation. At MIT Better World (Science) on November 17, 2020, we heard insights from Institute leaders, faculty, students, and alumni in global pursuit of scientific knowledge.

Scientists from MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) engage in a lively conversation on the Mars 2020 mission that covers the site selection and exploration of Jezero Crater, capabilities of the Perseverance ​Rover, and the prospect of sample return from Mars. Panelists include Mars 2020 scientists Tanja Bosak, Benjamin P. Weiss, and Roger Summons, the co-chair for the organic contamination panel for the mission with additional involvement in the Mars Science Laboratory mission. Bosak is an experimental geobiologist, Weiss is a planetary geophysicist, and Summons is a biogeochemist. The panel was moderated by Fatima Husain SM ’18, the host of the webinar series "MIT Abstracts," and graduate student in EAPS.

Video and transcript: To Mars: Exploring the Ancient Martian Environment with the Perseverance Rover

Video and transcript: And Back: Mechanisms for Bringing Mars to Earth