NASA develops new unmanned rover for Mars 2020 mission

Image courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech

New Delhi: With 2020 just 2 years away, the space circuit is buzzing in anticipation of NASA's Mars 2020 mission.

Earlier this month, NASA revealed that the Mars 2020 rover will have 23 technologically advanced cameras to create sweeping panoramas, reveal obstacles, study the atmosphere, and assist science instruments.

Now, in another announcement, the US space agency has unveiled that the unmanned rover vehicle will search for signs of ancient microbial life in areas of the uninhabitable Red Planet.

While the Mars 2020 rover holds a resemblance to its predecessor – the Curiosity rover – there's no doubt it's a souped-up science machine: It has seven new instruments, redesigned wheels and more autonomy.

A drill will capture rock cores, while a caching system with a miniature robotic arm will seal up these samples. Then, they'll be deposited on the Martian surface for possible pickup by a future mission. The new rover will be launched in July or August 2020.

“What we learn from the samples collected during this mission has the potential to address whether we’re alone in the universe,” said Ken Farley, a JPL scientist with the Mars 2020 project.

JPL is also developing a new landing technology that will allow the rover to visit sites deemed too risky for Curiosity and shave miles off its journey. The 2020 Mars mission will involve the use of a sky-crane, to conserve energy usage in the landing process.

Another addition to its landing phase will be worked out through the use of terrain-relative navigation. Through this system, the rover will essentially be able to compare surface maps in its database and incoming terrain, in order to select a favourable landing spot.

NASA has successfully landed spacecraft on Mars seven times and is using the International Space Station to prepare for human missions to the moon and Mars. Most of the hardware from the Curiosity rover, which landed in 2012, will be retained on this mission.

According to Mars Exploration Program Director Jim Watzin, the presence of technology to explore the Red Planet ‘reduces the risks with this launch.’ Through this mission, NASA will attempt to study the currently Martian terrain, and create a soil map of the planet.

(With inputs from Reuters)