What is the equivalent of Curiosity's "MSL" in the context of Perseverance? What's the official name of the mission? Are the distinctions similar?

Space Exploration Asked on December 22, 2021

Answers to Where does MSL end and Curiosity begin? explain the difference. There was much fanfare for the naming contest for the Perseverance rover, but I don’t know what the mission is called.

Question: What is the equivalent of Curiosity’s "MSL" in the context of Perseverance? What’s the official name of the mission? Are the distinctions similar? Will it also be a "science laboratory" while in transit to Mars?

curiosity mars science laboratory nasa perseverance terminology

One Answer

According to my extensive research on the topic, Mars 2020 is the name of the mission; Mars 2020 is to MSL as Perseverance is to Curiosity, but the Mars 2020 mission also includes the Ingenuity drone, which had no parallel in MSL. I don't see any references to a "science laboratory" on the Mars 2020 page.

Answered by Russell Borogove on December 22, 2021

What is the equivalent of Curiosity's "MSL" in the context of Perseverance? What's the official name of the mission? Are the distinctions similar?

One Answer

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