Perseverance Rover Carries Kendrick Castillo's Name To Mars

DENVER (CBS4) -- When humanity first touched down on Mars, it had the spirit of a Colorado hero with it. The Perseverance rover carried the name of Kendrick Castillo, who was killed while trying to stop a shooter at STEM School Highlands Ranch in May 2019.

Kendrick Castillo (credit: LinkedIn)

Castillo was a science and robotics fanatic -- and this mission is a huge step toward sending humans to Mars.

His father, John Castillo, thanked NASA and called it a "wonderful day."

"We will know that Kendrick's name is somewhere on the Rover getting ready to discover the red planet," John Castillo wrote on Facebook.

The rocket that got Perseverance to Mars was built by United Launch Alliance in Centennial, and the heat shield deisgned to protect her on the descent through the Martian atmosphere was built by Lockheed Martin in Littleton.