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NASA braces for ‘7 minutes of terror’ as rover, rocket crane near Mars
NASA’s most ambitious – and difficult – Mars rover mission to date is nearly at the end of its interplanetary journey, but it is just the beginning of the excitement. On Tuesday (Feb. 16) engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) confirmed that Perseverance is doing well and is prepared to attempt a touchdown at about 12:55 p.m. PST (3:55 p.m. EST) on Thursday (Feb. 18).
NASA’s fifth Mars rover, Perseverance, will attempt a tried and true, but terrifying landing method to reach the Martain surface safely. In a process called entry, descent, and landing (EDL) the rover will burst through the Martian atmosphere at 12,500mph (20,000 kph) and slow to just under 2mph (3kph) in about seven minutes – a process which has earned the nickname “seven minutes of terror.”
From interplanetary spacecraft to Martian rover in seven minutes
For the past seven months, Perseverance has traveled 300 million miles (480 million kilometers) as an interplanetary spacecraft. When it reaches its final destination of Mars on Feb. 18, the spacecraft will have to shed some layers to prepare to land on the Martian surface. Perhaps the most challenging part of the seven minutes of terror is that Perseverance will conduct every aspect autonomously – engineers back on Earth will not be able to intervene due to the communications time delay caused by the distance between Earth and Mars.
During the first stage of landing known as entry, Perseverance will slam into the relatively thin Martian atmosphere at the neck-break speed of 12,500mph (20,000 kph). At approximately 12:38 p.m. PST (3:38 p.m. EST), 10 minutes prior to entering the Martian atmosphere, the Cruise Stage which has reliably propelled Perseverance on its journey from Earth via solar power will separate. This will initiate the official transition from spacecraft into rover.
To protect the rover and its critical hardware Perseverance is housed inside of a protective covering – called an aeroshell – and is outfitted with a robust heat shield. Small thrusters at the crown of the aeroshell help to reorient itself and ensure that the heat shield is facing in the right direction as it enters the atmosphere. The aeroshell and heatshield will absorb and deflect the brunt of the heat energy – reaching about 2,370 degrees Fahrenheit (about 1,300 degrees Celsius) – caused by the friction of entering the Martian atmosphere at such a high velocity.
Once through peak heating and deceleration, Perseverance will utilize a new technology called Range Trigger to determine its exact location and distance to the surface. The spacecraft will utilize this technology to autonomously determine the optimal time to deploy its supersonic parachute – the largest ever sent to Mars – and separate its heat shield. This is expected to occur at 12:52 p.m. PST (3:52 p.m. EST). Once the heat shield has separated the powered descent stage – and the Perseverance rover itself – will be exposed to the Martian environment.
Although a similar descent method has been used in the past with the landing of NASA’s Curiosity rover in 2012, Perseverance’s way of doing things has received a major upgrade.
Once the heat shield has been dispersed, Perseverance will use a radar and cameras to utilize a new landing technology called Terrain-Relative Navigation. Essentially, Perseverance will continuously take images to map out the Martian surface as it descends to determine its exact location. The spacecraft will actively decide and target the best possible safe landing site which can be autonomously changed up to 2,000 feet (600 meters). Then the aeroshell and parachute are jettisoned and it’s the powered descent module’s time to shine.
-->Using rockets to land, rather than to launch
Just two minutes after ditching the heat shield, at 12:54 p.m. PST (3:54 p.m. EST) and only 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometers) above the surface, the powered descent stage will fire eight throttleable retrorockets to slow the spacecraft’s descent even more and steer it to its chosen landing target. During the powered descent phase, the spacecraft will slow from about 190 mph (306 kph) to just 1.7 mph (2.7 kph).
Once the spacecraft determines that it is 65 feet (20 meters) from the surface by utilizing the Terrain-Relative Navigation, the powered descent stage will initiate the sky crane maneuver. In this phase, the Perseverance rover will be delicately lowered to the Martian surface with a system of Nylon cords.
At 12:55 p.m. PST (3:55 p.m. EST) the $2.4 billion NASA Mars 2020 mission will officially touchdown on the surface of Mars in the Jezero Crater. Once safely down, the sky crane will severe the cords and fly off for a crash landing at a safe distance away from the rover.
During the landing attempt, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will be overhead and constantly sending telemetry back to Earth via NASA’s Deep Space Network. The telemetry will indicate to engineers back at NASA JPL if the landing procedure was successful and will confirm a touchdown at 12:55 p.m. PST (3:55 p.m. EST).
This will be the first time that a NASA Mars rover will be landing with its eyes open, so to speak. NASA hopes that the first images – and sounds – of the Martian landing will be available to release to the public within about an hour of confirmed touchdown.
Beginning around 11:15 am PST (19:15 UTC) on Thursday, February 18th, NASA will provide live coverage of Perseverance’s landing attempt. The agency will carry the coverage on NASA TV and its website, as well as a number of other platforms including YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch, Daily Motion, Theta.TV, and the NASA app. You can view the entry, descent, and landing process in its entirety in the video below provided by NASA’s JPL.
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Tesla’s new Holiday perk is timed perfectly to make FSD a household name
Tesla AI4 owners get FSD (Supervised) through Christmas, New Year’s Eve and well into the post-holiday travel season.
Tesla quietly rolled out a free Full Self-Driving (Supervised) trial for roughly 1.5 million HW4 owners in North America who never bought the package, and the timing could very well be genius.
As it turns out, the trial doesn’t end after 30 days. Instead, it expires January 8, 2026, meaning owners get FSD (Supervised) through Christmas, New Year’s Eve and well into the post-holiday travel season. This extended window positions the feature for maximum word-of-mouth exposure.
A clever holiday gift
Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt first spotted the detail after multiple owners shared screenshots showing the trial expiring on January 8. He confirmed with affected users that none had active FSD subscriptions before the rollout. He also observed that Tesla never called the promotion a “30-day trial,” as the in-car message simply reads “You’re Getting FSD (Supervised) For the Holidays,” which technically runs until after the new year.
The roughly 40-day period covers peak family travel and gatherings, giving owners ample opportunity to showcase the latest FSD V14’s capabilities on highway trips, crowded parking lots and neighborhood drives. With relatives riding along, hands-off highway driving and automatic lane changes could become instant conversation starters.
Rave reviews for FSD V14 highlight demo potential
FSD has been receiving positive reviews from users as of late. Following the release of FSD v14.2.1, numerous owners praised the update for its smoothness and reliability. Tesla owner @LactoseLunatic called it a “huge leap forward from version 14.1.4,” praising extreme smoothness, snappy lane changes and assertive yet safe behavior that allows relaxed monitoring.
-->Another Tesla owner, @DevinOlsenn, drove 600 km without disengagements, noting his wife now defaults to FSD for daily use due to its refined feel. Sawyer Merritt also tested FSD V14.2.1 in snow on unplowed New Hampshire roads, and the system stayed extra cautious without hesitation. Longtime FSD tester Chuck Cook highlighted improved sign recognition in school zones, showing better dynamic awareness. These reports of fewer interventions and a more “sentient” drive could turn family passengers into advocates, fueling subscriptions come January.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk predicts AI and robotics could make work “optional” within 20 years
Speaking on entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath’s podcast, Musk predicted that machines will soon handle most forms of labor, leaving humans to work only if they choose to.
Elon Musk stated that rapid advances in artificial intelligence and robotics could make traditional work unnecessary within two decades.
Speaking on entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath’s podcast, Musk predicted that machines will soon handle most forms of labor, leaving humans to work only if they choose to.
Work as a “hobby”
During the discussion, Musk said the accelerating capability of AI systems and general-purpose robots will eventually cover all essential tasks, making human labor a choice rather than an economic requirement. “In less than 20 years, working will be optional. Working at all will be optional. Like a hobby,” Musk said.
When Kamath asked whether this future is driven by massive productivity growth, Musk agreed, noting that people will still be free to work if they enjoy the routine or the challenge. He compared future employment to home gardening, as it is something people can still do for personal satisfaction even if buying food from a store is far easier.
“Optional” work in the future
Elon Musk acknowledged the boldness of his claim and joked that people might look back in 20 years and say he was wrong. That being said, the CEO noted that such a scenario could even happen sooner than his prediction, at least if one were to consider the pace of the advancements in AI and robotics.
-->“Obviously people can play this back in 20 years and say, ‘Look, Elon made this ridiculous prediction and it’s not true,’ but I think it will turn out to be true, that in less than 20 years, maybe even as little as ten or 15 years, the advancements in AI and robotics will bring us to the point where working is optional,” Musk said.
Elon Musk’s comments echo his previous sentiments at Tesla’s 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, where he noted that Optimus could ultimately eliminate poverty. He also noted that robots like Optimus could eventually provide people worldwide with the best medical care.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk reiterates why Tesla will never make an electric motorcycle
Tesla CEO Elon Musk preemptively shut down speculations about a Tesla road bike once more.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk preemptively shut down speculations about a Tesla road bike once more, highlighting that the electric vehicle maker has no plans to enter the electric motorcycle market.
Musk posted his clarification in a post on X.
Musk’s reply to a fun AI video
X user @Moandbhr posted an AI video featuring the Tesla CEO on the social media platform, captioning it with “Mr. Elon Musk Just Revealed the Game-Changing Tesla Motorcycle.” The short clip depicted Musk approaching a sleek, single-wheeled vehicle, stepping onto it, and gliding off into the distance amid cheers. The fun video received a lot of traction on X, gaining 3.1 million views as of writing.
Musk replied to the post, stating that a Tesla motorcycle is not going to happen. “Never happening, as we can’t make motorcycles safe. For Community Notes, my near death experience was on a road bike. Dirt bikes are safe if you ride carefully, as you can’t be smashed by a truck,” Musk wrote in his reply.
Musk’s Past Comments on Two-Wheelers
Musk also detailed his reservations about motorcycles in a December 2019 X post while responding to questions about Tesla’s potential ATV. At the time, he responded positively to an electric ATV, though he also opposed the idea of a Tesla road-going motorcycle. Musk did state that electric dirt bikes might be cool, since they do not operate in areas where large vehicles like Class 8 trucks are present.
-->“Electric dirt bikes would be cool too. We won’t do road bikes, as too dangerous. I was hit by a truck & almost died on one when I was 17,” Musk wrote in his post.
Considering Musk’s comments about dirt bikes, however, perhaps Tesla would eventually offer a road bike as a recreational vehicle. Such a two-wheeler would be a good fit for the Cybertruck, as well as future products like the Robovan, which could be converted into an RV.
Tesla’s new Holiday perk is timed perfectly to make FSD a household name
Elon Musk predicts AI and robotics could make work “optional” within 20 years
