On Thursday, July 30 at 7:00am, the Cradle of Aviation Museum and Education Center will begin sharing live coverage and countdown commentary of NASAs’ historic Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover launch, scheduled to liftoff on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida at 7:50 AM, July 30th. Prior to launch the museum will be sharing mission updates, STEM related activities and opportunities for the museum community to extend the experience.
“Perseverance has a lot of ground breaking objectives and instrumentation for its mission including new radar, creating oxygen from carbon dioxide, searching for microbial life, and returning Martian samples to Earth. But one of the key objectives that we are very excited about is the “helicopter” named Ingenuity tucked into its belly that will make the very first powered flight on another planet!” – Jennifer Baxmeyer, Executive Director, Cradle of Aviation Museum and Education Center
About the Mission
NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is designed to better understand the geology of Mars and seek ancient signs of 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 technology to benefit future robotic and human exploration of Mars. Following a seven month journey, the Rover is scheduled to land at Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021. The rover which weighs just under 2,300 pounds also will carry the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, a technology demonstration that marks the first attempt at powered, controlled flight on another planet. The mission will last at least one Mars year (about 687 Earth days).
How the Museum is Streaming Coverage of the Mission
Watch in the Museum
The museum will be adding two large video screens in the space gallery. The first will stream live coverage of the launch from NASA TV and replay throughout the day. The second screen will show footage of Mars as well as past interviews with NASA Mechanical Engineer, Kobie Boykins, who works on Mars Exploration Rovers and spoke to students at the museum on the importance of scientific exploration. (Note: The museum will be open at 7:30AM for the press and public for this event. Normal museum hours are 10AM – 4PM)
Watch via Museum’s Social Media Channels Throughout the Day
The museum’s social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, will be sharing live coverage and updates throughout the day on progress of the launch. Online viewers can watch at:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CradleofAviation
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CradleAviation
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cradleofaviation/?hl=en
A Facebook Watch Party will begin at 7:00 AM on Thursday, July 30.
The Cradle of Aviation Museum & Education Center is home to over 75 planes and spacecraft representing over 100 years of aviation history and Long Island’s only Giant Screen Dome Theater. The museum reopened to the public on July 9th, 2020. The health and safety of the museum’s visitors and staff is our top priority. Information about the museum’s health and safety preparedness plan can be found here. The museum is located on Museum Row, Charles Lindbergh Blvd., in Garden City. Call (516) 572-4111 or visit www.cradleofaviation.org.
