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NORTH AmERIcAN Newsline February 26, 2021 | The Indian Eye 21

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,
CA, Dr Mohan has also been a part of various
important missions of NASA. The Indian-Amer-
ican Scientist worked on projects Cassini (a mis-
sion to Saturn) and GRAIL (a pair of formation
flown spacecraft to the Moon).
The largest, most advanced rover NASA has
sent to another world touched down on Mars
Thursday, after a 203-day journey traversing
293 million miles (472 million kilometers). The
agency’s Perseverance rover landed on the Red
Planet at 3:55 pm (Eastern US time) Thursday,
bringing an end to the “seven minutes of terror”
that saw a fiery atmospheric entry and para-
chute-assisted descent.
The rover’s landing mechanism then fired
eight retrorockets to slow down and guide it to a
proper landing spot before using nylon cords to
lower it onto the surface.
She started working on the Mars 2020 mis-
sion in 2013, and ultimately became the lead
engineer for guidance, navigation and controls
operations. She helmed the mission’s attitude
control system, which helps make sure the space-
craft is heading in the direction it needs to be.

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