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NASA’s new Mars Rover is just a few months away from opening its launch window in July. The Perseverance rover’s crew is busy with the final preparations, which consist of a massive property check to make sure the car is balanced.
(Photo: Pixabay)
Mars Curiosity Rover
The Mars Rover assembly, test, and release operations team completed a test of the Rover’s critical mass residences on April 8. But NASA staff are operating the Mars rover curiosity from their home. How they did it?
ALSO READ: ‘Perseverance’ NASA’s new official name Mars Rover 2020 to join Curiosity; You will be surprised to know who gave this name!
A balance test is needed to make sure the new Rover is safe
In a statement Monday, NASA said precision mass property measurements are essential for a safe landing on Mars. Balance tests, according to the space agency, “help ensure” that the spacecraft travels accurately throughout its journey to the Red Planet, from its launch, descent, and landing.
The way to balance the rover took place earlier this month for three days at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA shared a behind-the-scenes during the tests, which included placing the Rover in a rotating fixture that surrounded perseverance like a huge roast chicken. This is a part of the method to locate the Rover’s central balance.
The carnival games did not end there. The Rover also played on a turntable. “TO [reduce] Friction that could affect the accuracy of the results, the table surface sits on a spherical air bearing that essentially levitates on a thin layer of nitrogen gas, “NASA said.
The NASA group brought 13.8 pounds (6.27 kilograms) to the chassis. The space agency compared to adding weights to the edges of car tires to keep balance.
If all goes well, the car-sized Rover will join its brother Curiosity on Mars in February 2021, and will be perfectly balanced in doing so.
ALSO READ: The new Mars Rover 2020 is already assembled in preparation for testing for next year’s launch
This is how NASA staff is operating the Mars curiosity rover from home
For the first time in Curiosity’s history, none of the people who run it have been to JPL offices, adding a new layer of remote work to a group already dealing with vehicle movements at a distance of close to 200. million kilometers (124 million miles)
To reap this, scientists have needed to be creative. In essence, monitors, headsets, and other equipment have been distributed, while video conferencing and chat applications have been listed to keep everyone in touch with each other.
“Usually we are all in one room, sharing screens, images and data,” says team leader Astrophysicist Alicia Allbaugh. She said people are talking in small groups and to each other from across the room. “
Scientists found themselves wearing glasses with red and blue lenses to analyze photos of Mars. The team had to come up with alternative elements, such as VR headsets, to allow the Curiosity group to plan routes and movements for Rover’s arms.
The coded rock drilling movements at Curiosity on March 20 were efficiently carried out several days later, at a domain on Mars called Edinburgh. Several evaluations and a complete practice were carried out before sending the instructions.
Curiosity continues to capture some enchanting images and make some fascinating discoveries, as their challenge continues almost eight years after landing, and that work continues, despite the fact that the NASA JPL crew is unable to meet in person to do what.
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