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--- blog:articles:science:landing_mars2020 [2019/07/02 09:10] – created Phil Ide
+++ blog:articles:science:landing_mars2020 [2019/07/02 09:14] – [Landing the Mars 2020 Rover Safely] Phil Ide
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 ====== Landing the Mars 2020 Rover Safely ======
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-Autonomous landings are always fraught with danger. One of the most dangerous terrains any landing might occur on is a boulder field. Not only would the impact of the landing on these hard objects be a threat, but the boulders are likely to be jagged too. Another threat are the steep cliffs of the crater - not falling off them (although that's a possibility), but crashing into them.
+Autonomous landings are always fraught with danger. One of the most dangerous terrains any landing might occur on is a boulder field. Not only would the impact of the landing on these hard objects be a threat, but the boulders are likely to be jagged too. Another threat are the steep cliffs of the crater - not falling off them (although that's a possibility), but crashing into them. //(click on the image to the left to see the animation)//
 The landing ellipse for NASA landers on Mars is typically around 20km (12mi) long and 7km (4.3mi) wide. Jezero crater, where Mars 2020 is due to land in Feb 2021, is 49km (30.4mi) across. This means there are probably going to be a variety of terrains within that ellipse. Mars 2020 has a solution to prevent landing in a poor location.