NASA’s preparations for the Mars 2020 missions are still moving further. The Perseverance rover is more prepared than ever since the scientists have attached to it brand-new wheels and an enormous air brake parachute.
Last year the Perseverance spacecraft was fitted with engineering wheels, used only for indoors testing by the scientists from NASA. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the robot was able to stand by itself on its wheels and sustain its weight. When all those tests were proven to be successful, NASA was able to replace the test wheels with the actual ones that Perseverance is going to use during its mission on Mars.
The importance of the Perseverance Mars rover in the Mars 2020 mission
Compared to the features of Curiosity, the other Mars rover created by NASA, Perseverance, has slightly different wheels attached. The wheels are both larger in diameter and narrower than Curiosity’s equipment. Perseverance is also implementing a new design for its wheels, that are situated close to each other, giving the same amount of grip as the 24 widely spaced treads of Curiosity. Both models are providing the spacecraft with the ability to move freely on unstable surfaces and winding paths, and they are preventing them from slipping sideways.
The good news is that in Perseverance, the scientists are trying to improve the damages that Curiosity occurring during its mission. It had several small breaks in its wheels. Even though this impediment did not have any effect on the rover’s mission, researchers want to prevent this from happening to Perseverance.
In addition to this, Perseverance is proudly presenting a new parachute, which is thought to be vital equipment for the rover. The parachute will play an enormous role when the spacecraft has to land on the surface of the Red Planet since it preserves the capsule from damaging any of the components. This element is vital because Perseverance is the most massive spacecraft ever sent to Mars.
As our second lead editor, Anna C. Mackinno provides guidance on the stories Great Lakes Ledger reporters cover. She has been instrumental in making sure the content on the site is clear and accurate for our readers. If you see a particularly clever title, you can likely thank Anna. Anna received a BA and and MA from Fordham University.