Rendering of Perseverance rover with Ingenuity helicopter on Martian surface.
The newest Mars rover successfully landed Thursday afternoon on the Red Planet. The landing is of interest locally because of the many components created by Valley-region companies.
The Perseverance rover ended its seven-month journey to Mars with a touchdown at the Jezero Crater and began its mission of searching for signs of life.
Powering the rover is the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator, a plutonium-powered engine that was built by Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc. at its Chatsworth campus. Contributing to the generator was Teledyne Energy Systems Inc., a subsidiary of Teledyne Technologies Inc., in Thousand Oaks.