KATHMANDU: The US space agency’s Perseverance robot has left Earth on a mission to try to detect life on Mars.

The one-ton, six-wheeled rover was launched out of Florida by an Atlas rocket on a path to intercept the Red Planet in February next year.

When it lands, the NASA robot will also gather rock and soil samples to be sent home later this decade.

Perseverance is the third mission dispatched to Mars within 11 days, after launches by the UAE and China.

Lift-off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station occurred at 11:50 GMT.

(With inputs from Agencies)