NASA Perseverance Mars Rover Success Has This Indian-Origin Scientist Behind It

NASA is a step closer to better understanding Mars after the Perseverance rover touched down the Red Planet. The rover, which spent seven months in space, has finally plunged into the Martian atmosphere and landed on the surface. Interestingly, the NASA mission has an Indian-American scientist working behind the maneuver.

What Is NASA Perseverance Rover?

For those unaware, NASA is working on a mission that aims to send astronauts to Mars in the next decade. Before this, NASA is sending rovers to explore the Red Planet, and to find any signs of life, water, and other important elements. The NASA Perseverance rover is part of the Mars Exploration Program that will hover around the planet to dig up past signs of life.

Dr. Swati Mohan Contributes To Perseverance's Touchdown

In the latest news, NASA successfully sent the Perseverance rover to Mars with a large team of scientists controlling it from Earth. Here, a team of scientists behind the altitude control system played a crucial role in guiding its direction and also track the spacecraft's orientation in space. And here is Dr. Swati Mohan, who spearheaded the development of attitude control and the landing system for the Perseverance rover.

In fact, it was she who first confirmed the touchdown after it survived a difficult entry into the Martian atmosphere. "Touchdown confirmed! Perseverance is safely on the surface of Mars, ready to begin seeking the signs of past life," was announced by Mohan. Dr. Mohan played an important role in steering the controls and the landing system of the rover, especially during the tricky touchdown.

The Perseverance rover sailed through space for seven months and covered over 472 million km. It finally entered the Martian atmosphere at 19,000 km/hour and descended towards the surface, which was quite a tricky part, handled by Dr. Mohan and the team.

To note, Dr. Swati Mohan moved to the US when she was just a year old, who later grew up fanning over the science fiction series Star Trek. She later graduated from Cornell University as an engineer and continued pursuing her interest in space exploration.