The Mars 2020 mission design would respond to recommendations found in the National Research Council's 2011 Planetary Science Decadal Survey, as well as findings of the Mars Program Planning Group, established to assist NASA in planning the future of Mars exploration.
The mission would rely on prior technological innovations, especially for entry, descent, and landing. As successfully demonstrated by the Mars Science Laboratory mission, the spacecraft would use a guided entry, descent, and landing system, which includes a parachute, descent vehicle, and, during the final seconds prior to landing, an approach called a "skycrane maneuver" for lowering the rover on a tether to the surface. This landing system represents a huge step in Mars surface science and exploration capability because it provides the ability to land a very large, heavy rover on the surface of Mars in a more precise landing area. The rover design would also enable a Curiosity-class, long-range mobility system on the surface of the red planet (5-20 kilometers or about 3 to 12 miles) for the investigation of diverse rocks and soils, and potentially other studies.