NASA’s 2020 Mars Rover

The Mars 2020 rover is about the size of an SUV, and the launch window for the seven-month trip is July 17 to August 5. It will continue the work of the previous rovers, exploring Martian geology, climate, and past suitability for life. It also has instruments that can detect fossils of microbial life. The most significant new capability is the sample cache system, which enables the rover to place geological samples in tubular containers that could be picked up and returned to Earth in future missions.