Perseverance Rover
Perseverance rover will look for signs of past microbial life, cache rock and soil samples, and prepare for future human exploration
Perseverance rover will look for signs of past microbial life, cache rock and soil samples, and prepare for future human exploration
The Mars 2020 rover, Perseverance, is based on the Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity rover configuration. It is car-sized, about 10 feet long (not including the arm), 9 feet wide, and 7 feet tall (about 3 meters long, 2.7 meters wide, and 2.2 meters tall). But at 2,260 pounds (1,025 kilograms), it weighs less than a compact car. In some sense, the rover parts are similar to what any living creature would need to keep it "alive" and able to explore.
| body: | a structure that protects the rover's "vital organs" |
| brains: | computers to process information |
| temperature controls: | internal heaters, a layer of insulation, and more |
| "neck and head": | a mast for the cameras to give the rover a human-scale view |
| eyes and ears: | cameras and instruments that give the rover information about its environment |
| arm and "hand": | a way to extend its reach and collect rock samples for study |
| wheels and legs: | parts for mobility |
| electrical power: | batteries and power |
| communications: | antennas for "speaking" and "listening" |