Meet Perseverance, JPL's newest Mars rover

NASA's newest Mars rover is called Perseverance, and it has already lived up to the name. Weighing in at just over a ton and loaded with the most sophisticated instruments ever sent to the red planet, the six-wheeled vehicle has already survived a hurdle no previous rover has had to face: a global pandemic. After overcoming months of uncertainty, Perseverance is at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, awaiting the start of the 309-million-mile journey that will take it to an ancient lake bed that may contain evidence of extraterrestrial life. Despite the unprecedented challenges, the $2.4-billion space robot is expected to blast off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station as early as Thursday -- right on schedule. The rover traveled across the country from its birthplace at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge in February.