The Perseverance Rover on Mars will be one of the most complex machines sent to the red planet that even exceeds Curiosity Rover that went before it.
On July 30, one if the most expansive projects in space exploration will be starting its journey to the red frontier, according to CNN.
The robotic rover will be one of the first envoys that allow new technologies that may be used in more distant planets and probes. Mars is just a baby step to other planets in the solar system.
One of its missions is to see if Mars can support life and check out the climatic and geological conditions that exist before the first human expeditions. It will be checking the Jezero Crater to see if it supported life before or now.
The machine will be getting at least 43 samples of Martian soil and rock in its twenty-four-month mission. All the Martian samples will be put in white tubes, to be retrieved by the next Mars mission.
Piggybacking is the Ingenuity helicopter that will allow more access to other terrain. The use of automated drone copters will be evaluated in this Mars mission.
The robotic rover will have more tech developed for this Mars mission that will hopefully set the stage for a manned mission. Let's take a look at some of its ingenious features and technology.
Machine-based eyes and ears
The rover is equipped with high-resolution eyes that will aid visual input, looking to where to find anything interesting to use its instruments. To capture sound, the rover has microphones that will record audio of its journey on Mars. SuperCam will fire a laser that makes a plasma which analyzes the chemical analysis of rocks.
Hi-tech SHERLOC
Attached to the robotic are PIXL, SHERLOC, and WATSON that are different kinds of sensors that use lasers and cameras to analyze the environment. The machine uses them to understand the environment, according to Fox 40.
Autonomous self-driving vehicle
So far, the newest rover has two brains, and one is called visual compute element (VCE), the Einstein of Earth rover which can manage from command. Two brains give it more power to think analyze the data it gathers on the Martian surface.
GPS is updated
Installed on the spacecraft is the new Terrain Relative Navigation system that navigates the lander to a safe landing area. Visual sensors like the lander vision system will get pictures when entering the atmosphere. Maps will be matched to guide where the spacecraft landed from images.
MOXIE creates oxygen
There is no air on Mars, it is important to have a good supply on any spacecraft. The machine will transform available carbon dioxide into oxygen, but it will expend energy from the Mars explorer. It makes only ten grams of oxygen an hour that might not be enough.
Monitoring weather and environment
Weather and environment are crucial for human explorers to know for a manned mission. Onboard is the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer that will check nuances of the red planet's weather system, as mentioned in KSBY.
Sneaky peek in the Martian soil
Firsts time to be used is RIMFAX or Radar Imager for Mars' Subsurface Experiment that will allow a view into the Martian soil and unknown geology.
Call the Perseverance Rover on Mars the smartest probe we've ever sent, just like Columbus and the first explorers.
