The Perot Museum of Nature and Science officially unveiled its new “Mission Mars: Perseverance Rover” exhibit on March 8.
The Perseverance rover originally landed on the red planet inside the 28-mile-wide Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021, on a mission to search for signs of past microbial life and collect samples that would eventually be brought back to Earth. More recently, the rover captured the sound of a Martian dust devil for the first time ever as it passed overhead, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Visitors to the museum will be given an in-depth look at the “twin” model of the Mars rover as well as the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter and Mars Ascent Vehicle. This exhibit also includes digital displays of the real rover on its ongoing mission, according to the museum.
Chris Salvo, manager of the Mars Sample Return System, said that this new exhibit will showcase how multiple scientific disciplines can work together toward a common project.
“Seeing this up close, we hope, is the sort of interaction that inspires the next generation to want to be a part of this and push themselves past what they think are their limits and go after that,” said Salvo, according to KRLD.
“The whole of creation is tied together from the same physics. It all operates under the same rules. As we learn about things on Mars, we’re learning about the solar system as a whole. We compare things to what we observe on Earth.”
The exhibit runs through September 2 and is located in the lower-level auditorium. Admission to the exhibit is included with the cost of a general admission ticket.
