Twin of NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Moves Into New Home

This vehicle system test bed rover (VSTB) is also known as OPTIMISM, which stands for Operational Perseverance Twin for Integration of Mechanisms and Instruments Sent to Mars. OPTIMISM was built in a warehouselike assembly room near the Mars Yard – an area that simulates the Red Planet's rocky surface. The rover helps the mission test hardware and software before it’s transmitted to the real rover on Mars. OPTIMISM will share the space with the Curiosity rover's twin MAGGIE.

Perseverance is set to land on the surface of Mars on Feb. 18, 2021.

For more information on the mission, visit: https://mars.nasa.gov/perseverance/