Mars 2020 Rover

NASA intended to deploy the Mars 2020 rover after Curiosity's success. Mars 2020 is a rover mission for Mars that is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, which also includes the Perseverance rover and the Ingenuity tiny robotic coaxial helicopter. This comprises a little robot that has been in operation for over fourteen years. Its goal was to focus on Mars' previous history, including historical topography, regardless of whether or not life had ever lived on the planet. The cost was estimated at $2.46 billion. On 30 July 2020, Mars 2020 was launched from Earth on an Atlas V rocket, and confirmation of landing at the Martian crater Jezero was obtained on 18 February 2021.

The mission will look for evidence of previous habitable circumstances on Mars, as well as evidence – or biosignatures – of past microbial life and water. The mission was launched on an Atlas V-541 on July 30, 2020, and was overseen by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA's Mars Exploration Program is behind the effort. The Science Definition Team suggested that the rover gather and package up to 31 samples of rock cores and surface soil for further examination on Earth by a future mission. They expanded the concept in 2015, hoping to collect even more samples and disperse the tubes throughout the surface of Mars in little heaps or caches.

Cost: $2.46 billion