Mars Exploration

1. Presentation: Rovers for Mars Exploration and Perseverance

Under Mission Mars pathfinder
First rover for mars
Size equivalent to microwave oven
lasted for 85 earth days
Landed in Ares Vallis
- Because that location looked like flooded and debris flow had occured previously
- and it was flatter region too

spirit and opportunity.png

two rovers (twins) made in 2004
planned for 90 days but spirit lasted for ~6 years (2004 to 2010), opportunity is working till now > 14 years
4 spectrometers
big as golf cart
discovered about volcanism and water present
landed on opposite positions

size comparision.png

Landed on 2012
large as small SUV
main objective to study
- climate
- is mars suitable for life?
- geology
had Chemcam, Robotic Arm, Nuclear Power Source, Environmental and atmospheric sensors
4.8kg Plutonium dioxide (for ~14 years powers)

Launched on 2020 July 30 will
Landing date Feb 18 2021
Designed for 1 mars years (687 earth days)
Under mission Mars 2020
Puprose:
- ancient life
- and soil sample for possible return (main purpose to look for bio signature)
- gather rock sample
- explore a geologically diverse landing site
Size
- 278 pound heavier than curiosity
- 10ft length, 9ft width, 7ft height
- 1025 kg (2260 pounds)
has tube for bring back soil samples
electricity from plutonium 238
autopilot for TRN (Terrain Relative Navigation)
~24,25 camers and sensors for fast driving

Mastcam - Z
- panoramic and sterioscopic imaging capability
- ability to zoom
- also will determine mineralogy of martian surface
Super Cam
- provide chemical composition analysis
Planetary Instrument for X-ray lithochemistry (PIXL)
- x-ray use garera high-resolution images map for find-scale elemntal composition
- detailed detection and analysis of chemical elements
Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC)
- UV laser for minerals and organic compounds
MEDA (Mars Environmatal Dynamics Analyser)