Mars Rover

Space Exploration

Space exploration has come a long way since the first man walked on the moon in 1969. Today, the boundaries are being pushed and we are being challenged to look further and farther into space. Exploring Mars is the next milestone. With the current advancements in technology and robotics, uncovering the mysteries of Mars has never been more possible.

History of Mars Exploration

Spaces agencies began exploring Mars in 1960. Orbiting spacecraft were used to perform fly-by missions. Fast-forward in time and Mars is still considered off-limits for human exploration. Since 1997, NASA has sent four robotic vehicles, called rovers, to Mars. Mars rover missions have uncovered evidence that the dry desolate planet was once a vastly different place. Wet conditions that occurred billions of years ago have been discovered where scientists believe had the potential to host life8.

 

Currently, NASA’s dedicated Mars Exploration Program is a science-driven, technology-enabled study of Mars as a planetary system. The program's mission is to understand:

  • The formation and early evolution of Mars as a planet

  • The history of geological and climate processes that have shaped Mars through time

  • The potential for Mars to have hosted life 

  • The future exploration of Mars by humans, and

  • How Mars compares to and contrasts with Earth2.

Mars Before and After Dust Storm. Source: NASA.gov

Benefits and Opportunities from Exploring Mars

Exploring Mars benefits humankind in unthinkable ways and presents endless opportunities. Where will curiosity lead us?

  • Origins of life - Are we alone in the universe? Where did we come from? What does Earth’s future look like? Looking at parallels between the evolution of Mars and Earth will help us to understand the history and predict the future of Earth and life on Earth11.

  • Human colonisation - Mars is being considered as potentially the best place for establishing the first human colony in outer space11. Could this be the solution for the future survival of humanity?

  • New resources – Mars has the potential to provides us with new resources and materials which are currently unknown to humans11.

  • Technological advancements – Research and development of new technology to explore Mars can also be used to improve the quality of life throughout the world10. 

  • Inspiration - A human mission has a unique potential to inspire the next generation of young people to enter critically needed STEM disciplines10.

Rovers and Robotics

A rover is a planetary surface exploration device typically equipped with wheels, drills, cameras, robotic arms, lasers, X-ray fluorescence spectrometer and more depending on the mission. Rovers are operated from Earth 150 million miles away with a 10-minute time-lapse3. Navigations are carried out from Earth where data is sent back for analysis. Rovers are sent specific commands by a communications team or they can carry out tasks autonomously9. With inbuilt scientific instruments, rovers can perform a magnitude of tasks by providing us with invaluable data on geology, atmosphere, environmental conditions and potential signs of life6.

​

Building a Rover

Using rovers to explore Mars for human exploration requires billions of dollars in investments and collaborative efforts of those with diverse educational backgrounds. NASA’s 2020 yearly budget for the Mars Mission is $546.5 million, of which $278 million is dedicated to the Mars Rover Program5. Other agencies around the world using rovers to explore Mars include the European, Chinese, and Russian space agencies.  


To build such complex rovers, NASA explains passion, curiosity, hope, and perseverance are key traits team members must possess7. STEM and robotics are vital in building rovers when combined with other skills being microbiology, chemistry, geology, radiation biology and more. 

Mars Helicopter and Perseverance Rover. Source: NASA.gov

NASA’s newest Mars Rover – Perseverance

  • Mission Name: Mars 2020

  • Rover Name: Perseverance

  • Main Job: The Perseverance rover will seek signs of ancient life and collect rock and soil samples for a possible return to Earth.

  • Launch Window: July 17 - Aug. 5, 2020

  • Launch Location: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

  • Landing: Feb. 18, 2021

  • Mission Duration: At least one Mars year (about 687 Earth days)

  • Size and weight: Approximately 3 meters long, 2.7 meters wide, 2.2 meters tall. Total weight of 1,025 kilograms.

 

Key Objectives:

  • Explore a geologically diverse landing site

  • Assess ancient habitability

  • Seek signs of ancient life, particularly in special rocks known to preserve signs of life over time

  • Gather rock and soil samples that could be returned to Earth by a future NASA mission 

  • Demonstrate technology for future robotic and human exploration

​

​

Citation

  1. NASA's Mars Exploration Program. (2020, May 14). Retrieved May 15, 2020, from https://mars.nasa.gov/#red_planet/2

  2. NASA's Mars Exploration Program. (2014, June 3). Retrieved May 14, 2020, from https://mars.nasa.gov/#mars_exploration_program/4

  3. Liu, H. (2020). Autonomous Navigation for Mars Exploration. In Mars Exploration. IntechOpen.

  4. NASA Facts Mars 2020. (2019, December). Retrieved May 13, 2020, from https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/fact_sheets/mars2020factsheet.pdf

  5. NASA Explore Budget Estimates FY 2020. (2020). Retrieved May 13, 2020, from https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/fy_2020_congressional_justification.pdf 

  6. Instruments. (n.d.). Retrieved May 15, 2020, from https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/instruments/

  7. Meet the People Behind NASA's Perseverance Rover – NASA's Mars Exploration Program. (2020, April 30). Retrieved May 15, 2020, from https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8662/meet-the-people-behind-nasas-perseverance-rover/

  8. Salese, F., Pondrelli, M., Neeseman, A., Schmidt, G., & Ori, G. G. (2019). Geological evidence of planet‐wide groundwater system on Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 124, 374– 395

  9. Bajpai, M., Panwar, A., Chhaniwal, J. K., & Tak, J. (2019). A review on the technologies used by NASA to explore Mars. Advance and Innovative Research, 230

  10. Ehlmann, B. L., Chowdhury, J., Marzullo, T. C., Collins, R. E., Litzenberger, J., Ibsen, S., ... & Shepard, R. (2005). Humans to Mars: A feasibility and cost-benefit analysis. Acta astronautics, 56(9-12), 851-858.

  11. Szocik, K., Wójtowicz, T., & Baran, L. (2017). War or peace? The possible scenarios of colonising Mars. Space Policy, 42, 31-36.
     

Source: NASA.gov

FRA Logo Full Horizontal1-min.png