What was the name of NASA’s robotic rover that landed on Mars in February 2021?

NASA’s Perseverance was the robotic rover that landed on Mars in February 2021.

The rover touched down in Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021, during NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. Its main scientific goals include searching for signs of ancient microbial life, studying the planet’s geology and collecting rock and soil samples for possible future return to Earth.

Perseverance also carried Ingenuity, a small robotic helicopter that performed the first controlled, powered flights on another planet. The rover is nuclear-powered and uses a suite of cameras, spectrometers and environmental instruments. Curiosity, which landed in 2012, remains a separate NASA rover. Spirit and Opportunity were earlier Mars Exploration Rover vehicles, so their names are common alternatives but do not match the 2021 landing.