Nasa’s Perseverance rover is making an attempt to land on Mars on 18 February 2021.
Katie Stack Morgan, the mission’s deputy undertaking scientist, explains how the spacecraft will navigate hazards in Jezero Crater, an space thought of “too harmful” for earlier rovers.
Video by Jennifer Inexperienced, interview by Roland Pease and Deborah Cohen.
For extra on the Mars touchdown, hearken to Science in Motion on BBC World Service.