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Planned to land on February 18th, the Mars 2020/Perseverance rover is designed to better understand the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient life. The mission will collect and store a set of rock and soil samples that could be returned to Earth in the future. It will also test new technologies for future exploration. Curiously enough, Kerbals have also been preparing a similar mission to Duna, but they need some help to design and successfully complete the entry, descent, and landing sequence of their Dunian Rover. Are you up for the challenge? To successfully complete this challenge, you’ll need to: Build a six-wheeled rover that looks as closely as possible to NASA’s Perseverance Rover, plus all the components needed for the entry, descent and landing sequence. Use an orbiting CommNet relay to control the spacecraft. Perform a cruise stage separation before entering the atmosphere. Use a heat shield and fairings for the backshell to enter the atmosphere. Include a parachute deployment and heat shield separation stage. Separate from the backshell and begin a powered descent Separate from the Descent stage and touchdown! Collect some samples using the robotic rover arm. Post a video or screenshots on this thread showcasing your successful mission. Additional points if you deploy a Duna Helicopter, too. Additional points if you land on a Dunian Crater You have until February 18th to complete the challenge. As we did with the Demo-2 Mission and the Space Station Anniversary, NASA will be reviewing submissions and liking their favorites, so don’t miss out! Looking for some tips/inspiration? Check out Matt Lowne’s Kerbal-take on the Perseverance/Recovery mission here.