Mars 2020 Spacecraft Mid-Cruise (Illustration)

Illustration of the Mars 2020 spacecraft
October 27, 2020
CreditNASA/JPL-Caltech
Language
  • english

This illustration of the Mars 2020 spacecraft (the solar-panel-covered cruise stage most visible here along with a portion of the white back shell) in interplanetary space was generated using imagery from NASA's Eyes on the Solar System. The image is from the mission's midway point between Earth and Mars –146.3 million miles (235.4 million kilometers) away from each. In straight-line distance, Earth is 26.6 million miles (42.7 million kilometers) behind Perseverance, and Mars is 17.9 million miles (28.8 million kilometers) in front. Visible in the graphic are the solar panels on the cruise stage surrounding the top of the aeroshell.

More information on the spacecraft can be found here: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/overview/