Our Mars 2020 rover has a new name that captures the spirit of exploration – Perseverance. Alexander Mather, a 13-year-old student from Virginia, submitted the winning name to our “Name the Rover” contest, which received 28,000 entries from K-12 students from every U.S. state and territory.

Middle-School Student Names NASA’s Next Mars Rover

Targeted for launch this July, this robotic astrobiologist will search for signs of past microbial life on Mars. After landing in February 2021, it also will collect samples of Martian rocks and dust for a future Mars Sample Return mission to Earth, while paving the way for human exploration of the Red Planet.