Dropping a one-tonne machine onto the surface of Mars is no small feat. Perseverance is slightly bigger and heavier than its predecessor, Curiosity, and broke new ground when it safely reached the surface of the red planet.

Humans have been trying to reach Mars since the early ‘70s. In 1976, Viking 1 sent back the first surface photo of Mars and today, there are around 15 major vehicles on the surface varying between functional and crashed.