Mapping Mars: 7 graphics to help you understand the Red Planet

On February 18 at approximately 20:55 GMT, NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover is expected to touch down on the Red Planet. The mission, which was launched seven months ago, has been travelling for nearly half a billion kilometres at more than fifteen times the speed of a bullet. Equipped with 19 cameras and two microphones, the mission will be streamed on NASA’s YouTube page starting at 19:15 GMT. If the mission is successful, a few days later we will all be able to watch HD footage of the touchdown on Mars, which is more than 200 million kilometres away, from the comfort of our homes.