NASA’s Rover: 2020 Exploration
Introduction:
The currently
unnamed rover is a robotic scientist weighing more than 2,300
pounds (1,000 kilograms). It will search for signs of past microbial life,
characterize the planet's climate and geology, collect samples for a future
return to Earth and pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet.
Manufacturer:
The manufacturer of ROVER is Lyndon B. Johnson Space
Center (JSC), which is originally named the Manned Spacecraft Center, where
human spaceflight training, research, and flight control are conducted. It was
built and leased by NASA by Joseph L. Smith & Associates, Inc. It was later
named in the honor of the late US President and Texas native, Lyndon B. Johnson
on February 19, 1973.
Key points:
·
NASA has tested the rover it will use for
its Moon 2024 mission for the Artemis program
·
The VIPER rover will analyze water samples
from the lunar surface
·
The rover will help determine the
possibility of establishing a human colony on the Moon
·
The rover is called the Volatiles
Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER)
·
The rover’s engineering model is about as
big as a golf cart
The Rover VIPER on the SLOPE:
NASA sent VIPER to its Glen Research Center in
Cleveland, Ohio (US)
to test its proficiency in navigating through the lunar surface. Through SLOPE,
NASA’s engineers were able to mimic the conditions of the Moon’s surface and
terrain. It enabled them to evaluate the rover’s traction and wheels and to
determine the power needed in order to navigate through the lunar surface. The
laboratory also enabled the engineers to test how the rover fares against
airborne silica.
Human Mission to the Moon 2024
If this test will be a success for NASA and VIPER,
then rover will accompany female astronaut on the mission to the Moon in 2024
as part of the Artemis program. On this mission, they will be exploring the
Moon’s South Pole to search for possible traces of ice water.
Through its onboard
scientific instruments, VIPER will collect ice water samples and analyze them
to see if the Moon has enough water to support future lunar missions.
According to Daniel
Andrews, the project manager for VIPER, finding water on the Moon would
determine the possibility of establishing a human colony on the lunar surface.
Refer: https://www.ibtimes.sg/nasa-tests-rover-that-will-determine-possibility-human-colony-moon-37679
Publisher:www.dejamallow.com
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