Watch Live Coverage of Mars Rover Perseverance Landing

After years of complicated preparations, NASA is expected to attempt its ninth Mars landing on Thursday at 12:55 p.m. PT.

The live landing commentary will begin at 11:15 a.m.

If it lands successfully, the rover, named Perseverance, will search for signs of ancient microbial life; collect broken rock and dust samples to be analyzed by researchers on Earth; study Mars’ geology and climate; and “pave the way for human exploration beyond the Moon,” according to NASA.

Perseverance also is carrying the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which will attempt the first powered, controlled flight on another planet, according to a NASA press release.

Here’s a schedule for Thursday’s events via NASA:

11:15 a.m. — Live landing commentary on the NASA TV Public Channel and the agency’s website, as well as the NASA App, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch, Daily Motion and THETA.TV.

In addition, an uninterrupted clean feed of cameras from inside JPL Mission Control, with mission audio only, will be available at 11 a.m. ET on the NASA TV Media Channel and at the JPLraw YouTube channel.

A 360-degree livestream of the Mars landing from inside mission control, including landing commentary, will be available at the NASA-JPL YouTube channel.

11:30 a.m. — “Juntos Perseveramos,” the live Spanish-language landing commentary show, on NASA en Español’s YouTube channel.

About 12:55 p.m. — Expected time of Perseverance touchdown on Mars.

No earlier than 2:30 p.m. — Post-landing news conference originating from Von Karman Auditorium.