BAY LAKE, Fla. – NASA is bringing a piece of its Mars mission to Walt Disney World.
In a post on social media on Wednesday, the resort shared photos of a new addition at EPCOT’s attraction Mission: SPACE.
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While undergoing some much-needed renovations, Disney Imagineering teamed up with leaders at NASA to spotlight the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover with a new display.
The rover and its small helicopter launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket back in 2020. After a few months in orbit, the lander eventually landed on the planet. Since that time it has been exploring the Martian planet, capturing photos and rock and soil samples.
The new display details the mission through a plaque that has been placed next to some rover tread marks. Walt Disney World said NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory provided images of the rover alongside a prototype wheel to help create tread marks identical to the ones being made on the red planet.
NASA plans to send the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) to the planet in 2028.
The spacecraft will help pickup and return the samples collected back to earth. When complete, it will be the first rocket ever to launch off the surface of another planet.
Click here to learn more about Walt Disney World’s attraction, Mission: SPACE.
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