With so much recent media attention on our Commercial Crew Program and Mars 2020 “Perseverance” rover, it might be easy to forget the first “A” in NASA. However, without the foundational “small steps” of aeronautics research, there would have been no “giant leaps” on the Moon, no Space Shuttle, no goal of sending humans to Mars.

With so much recent media attention on our Commercial Crew Program and Mars 2020 “Perseverance” rover, it might be easy to forget the first “A” in NASA. However, without the foundational “small steps” of aeronautics research, there would have been no “giant leaps” on the Moon, no Space Shuttle, no goal of sending humans to Mars.

With so much recent media attention on our Commercial Crew Program and Mars 2020 “Perseverance” rover, it might be easy to forget the first “A” in NASA. However, without the foundational “small steps” of aeronautics research, there would have been no “giant leaps” on the Moon, no Space Shuttle, no goal of sending humans to Mars.

With so much recent media attention on our Commercial Crew Program and Mars 2020 “Perseverance” rover, it might be easy to forget the first “A” in NASA. However, without the foundational “small steps” of aeronautics research, there would have been no “giant leaps” on the Moon, no Space Shuttle, no goal of sending humans to Mars.

The main goal of NASA's Perseverance Rover mission is to seek for signs of ancient life on Mars and collect samples of rock and regolith for possible return to Earth.  The Rover is expected to land on the surface of the Red Planet on Thursday, February 18. 

The main goal of NASA's Perseverance Rover mission is to seek for signs of ancient life on Mars and collect samples of rock and regolith for possible return to Earth.  The Rover is expected to land on the surface of the Red Planet on Thursday, February 18. 

The main goal of NASA's Perseverance Rover mission is to seek for signs of ancient life on Mars and collect samples of rock and regolith for possible return to Earth.  The Rover is expected to land on the surface of the Red Planet on Thursday, February 18. 

The main goal of NASA's Perseverance Rover mission is to seek for signs of ancient life on Mars and collect samples of rock and regolith for possible return to Earth.  The Rover is expected to land on the surface of the Red Planet on Thursday, February 18.