NASA Is Launching Its New Mars Rover This Week & There's A Canadian Connection

You can watch it live online.
NASA Mars Rover Launch Is Happening This Week & There's A Canadian Connection
JPL-Caltech | NASA Bill Jelen | Unsplash
Senior Writer

Blast off! The NASA Mars rover launch is happening this week and there's a Canadian connection with the mission.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is almost ready to leave Earth on its journey through space if the weather cooperates.

July 30

That's when NASA's Mars rover launches

Perseverance is scheduled to launch from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 7:50 a.m. ET on July 30.

You can watch it happen live online at NASA TV.

Canada is a part of this new journey into space.

The Canadian Space Agency is funding a professor from the University of Alberta who is a scientist on the Mars 2020 mission.

Canadians were also able to vote on the new rover's name earlier in the year. 

After over 770,000 votes, Perseverance was chosen. The other options were Endurance, Promise, Clarity, Vision, Ingenuity, Courage, Tenacity and Fortitude.

Via Canadian Space Agency

CanadaNews
  • Lisa Belmonte

    Senior Writer

    Lisa Belmonte (she/her) is a Senior Writer with Narcity Media. After graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), she joined the Narcity team. Lisa covers news and notices from across the country from a Canada-wide perspective. Her early coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic earned Narcity its first-ever national journalism award nomination.

Northern lights could be seen across Canada this weekend, including southern Ontario

You don't need special equipment to see the aurora!

Advertisement Content

Those bizarre 'accidents' around Toronto? Here's what they're really all about

From crushed cars to runaway carts, the stunts point to a surprisingly useful app.

Canada Pension Plan payments for January 2026 go out soon and rates just increased

A little extra money is coming your way this month. 💰

The CRA has announced a bunch of changes that could impact your 2025 tax return

From updated tax rates to new credits & deductions, here's what's new for 2025. 📝

Zellers plans to open new stores across Canada and here's what the locations could be like

The iconic Canadian retailer is focusing on affordability and nostalgia!

Canada's spring forecast is out and says the weather will still be snowy in these places

Most of the country will get cooler-than-normal temperatures this spring. 👀

Lotto Max winning numbers for Tuesday, January 20 are out and there's a $15 million jackpot

We have a winner, so check your tickets!

Toronto's population is officially shrinking — Here's where everyone is moving to

What's leading Toronto's sudden exodus? 😳

CSIS is hiring post-secondary students for these jobs that pay up to $34 an hour

You can work in finance, HR, engineering, communications, IT or other areas.

The best employers in Canada for 2026 were ranked and Ontario companies made the list

So many universities and local governments are top employers this year!

Canada's best employers for 2026 were revealed and these are the top companies to work for

Well-known employers like Microsoft, RBC, Costco, Apple, and Rogers made the ranking.

BC's 2026 spring weather forecast is out now and it's probably not what you're hoping for

Here's what to expect from the season ahead!