Landing of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover: Canadian scientists and engineers available for interviews

Launched in July 2020, Perseverance, NASA's Mars 2020 rover, will land in Jezero Crater on February 18. For the first time, samples of rock and soil collected on Mars will be sealed and stored for possible return to Earth.

Longueuil, Quebec, February 16, 2021 — Launched in July 2020, Perseverance, NASA's Mars 2020 rover, will land in Jezero Crater on February 18. For the first time, samples of rock and soil collected on Mars will be sealed and stored for possible return to Earth.

These Canadian scientists and engineers are associated with Mars exploration.

• Dr. Tim Haltigin, Senior Mission Scientist, Planetary Exploration at the Canadian Space Agency.
• Dr. Chris Herd, Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta.
• Dr. Mariek Schmidt, Associate Professor of Earth Sciences at Brock University.
• Dr. Richard Léveillé, Adjunct Professor, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences at McGill University.
• Dr. Kim Tait, Senior Curator of Mineralogy. Oversees all Earth Sciences collections at the Royal Ontario Museum.

Media representatives interested in talking to Canadian scientists and engineers about the Mars 2020 mission may contact:

On February 18, media representatives can also watch live coverage of the landing on NASA TV starting at 2:15 p.m. ET.

More information

• Mars 2020: Searching for signs of past life on the red planet
• Planet Mars in numbers - Infographic
• Mars exploration

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Contact information

Canadian Space Agency
Media Relations Office
Telephone: 450-926-4370
Website: asc-csa.gc.ca
Email: ASC.Medias-Media.CSA@canada.ca
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