Author: Peter Hong

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Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover News

Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s InSight Lander Countertuitive Way to Conserve Power

As the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover, the Ingenuity Helicopter, and the InSight Lander have been on Mars for over 3 months, more and more dust had been accumulated on the InSight lander’s solar panels. The dust has negative effects on power conservation and it resulted in the InSight lander losing about 30 watt-our energy daily on Mars.

We are building a 1:2 Peseverance Mars Rover Replica, which will perfectly replicate the appearance structure of the real Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover in very fine details, but with no scientific functions. Building the InSight lander is also under our consideration. It can be a nice decoration closet for the Perseverance Mars Rover Replica.

The team came up with an innovative and counterintuitive way to remove the dust. Instead of installing another motor or utilize Ingenuity Helicopter’s blazes, in which both methods require too much power than we want to, to shake off the dust, a small scoop is used to trickle sands near the solar panel, and then the large sand grains will carry the small dust away when the wind blows. That is to say, when to scoop sand also needs to be carefully planned. After the dust’s removal, it has been decided that the InSight lander will go dormant later this Summer to save energy until August.

It can be speculated that dust could also accumulate on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover and the Ingenuity Helicopter, but since they move more than the InSight lander, the dust so far is not an yet. For our Perseverance Mars Rover Replica, if you drive it outside, dust is not an expected problem since the battery will be inside the body.

Around October 7th, Mars and Earth will rotate to the opposite sides of the Sun, and this will have significant effects on the communications between the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover and Earth. So during that period, even though the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover will keep on recording data and send the data back to Earth, Earth will not give any commands to the rover. Essentially, most of the operation will pause till the end of October.

For our Perseverance Mars Rover Replica, you won’t need to worry about downtime, since it will be operating on batteries or outlets. If you are interested in our Mars Rover Replica, please check [1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica Design and Building Diary].

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Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover News

Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Ingenuity Helicopter Photos Stitched into 3D Video

Since the first flight, there are have been many photos of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Ingenuity Helicopter since the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover landed on Mars. The photos from the third flight which happened on the 25th of April were stitched into a video. The photos were taken by the two MastCam-z cameras on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s mast. When you watch the video, you will feel like you are standing right by the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Ingenuity Helicopter and you are seeing it taking off and flying back.

We are currently building a 1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica, which perfectly replicates the appearance structure of the real Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover. We also have a plan to build a replica of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Ingenuity Helicopter.

In the video, you can see the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Ingenuity Helicopter, first of all, flew up for 16 feet  (5 meters), flew away for 164 feet (50 meters), and then flew back to the original takeoff spot. For our Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Replica’s Ingenuity Helicopter Replica, you can navigate it with remote control.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Ingenuity Helicopter work independently from the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover. Their missions don’t overlap. The main purpose of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Ingenuity Helicopter in this mission is first to show that it is possible to control rotorcrafts while exploring Mars, and what meaningful outcomes this can bring for future missions.

Although our 1:2 Rover Replica is smaller and does not have the functions that the real Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover has, it will be ultra-detailed and realistic. If you are interested in our Mars Rover Replica, please check [1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica Design and Building Diary].

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Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover News

Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Robotic Arm Starts Missions

The science instruments WASTON on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Robotic Arm have worked together with MasterCam-Z and SuperCam to learn more about Martian rocks. From the information provided by these cameras, scientists can learn if there was ever life or how the rocks were formed. We are currently building a 1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica, which perfectly replicates the appearance structure of the real Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover, including the Robotic Arm, WASTON, MasterCam-Z, and Super Cam. Users can remotely control the Perseverance Mars Rover Replica to simulate the real Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s operation.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Robotic Arm plays a very important role when it comes to studying rocks. In order to remove new dust from the surface and expose the inside of the rocks, the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Robotic Arm needs to move close to the spot of interest and then control its abrading corer to scrape off the surface. Once that’s done, the scientists will decide if that is a valuable site by carefully studying the images transmitted by PIXL and SHERLOC. The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Robotic Arm has not started to drill corers yet because scientists are still deciding which rocks are worthy candidates. The PIXL and SHERLOC will also be perfectly replicated on our Perseverance Mars Rover Replica.

Studying the rocks is how we can learn about Mars. Therefore, the more types of rocks the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover discovers, the better we get to know about Mars, and the more we will be ready for human exploration on Mars. Our Perseverance Mars Rover Replica will also have the sample tubes replica, and users can put rocks, sands, or dirt into them. Not only can it be an ultra-realistic collection, but also a great teaching tool. If you are interested in our Mars Rover Replica, please check [1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica Design and Building Diary].

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EDL Sensor System of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Structure Components Functions

EDL Sensor System of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover – part 2

Other than the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s EDL microphone, there are also cameras in the EDL sensor system.

There is a camera that is located on top of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover, so it can look up at the descent stage and take photos of it. This camera is called the rover “up look” camera. When the sky crane maneuver and the descent stage separates, the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s rover “up look” camera can take photos of the process so that people on Earth can see if everything is ok. Our 1:2 Pseverance Rover Replica will perfectly replicate the appearance structure of the rover “up look” camera.

There is another camera that is located under the rover, called the rover “down look” camera. Its job is to capture what it sees underneath the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover so that people on Earth will know if the rover lands successfully. Our 1:2 Pseverance Rover Replica will perfectly replicate the appearance structure of the rover “down look” camera.

The Lander Vision Camera (LCAM) is a part of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s Lander Vision System. Because the LCAM is located outside of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s body, it needs to be small and light (less than 1 kg, or 2.2 lbs), but luckily, the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s LCAM is only intended to be used only during the EDL process, so it doesn’t need to endure the environmental condition of Mars. The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s LCAM is in fact a new feature added on top of the old Lander Vision System which is inherited from the previous mission. High up in the air and with fast-dropping speed, the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s LCAM needs to take photos at low exposure time, and it needs to take photos quickly and feed the images quickly to the Vision Complute Element with low latency in order for a fast process. The images will be processed within 10 seconds. The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s LCAM is not expected to survive on Mars, so after the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover lands, the LCAM’s mission is over. Other cameras will take over the photo-taking jobs.

For our 1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica, it will perfectly replicate the appearance structure of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s LCAM, and we might even put a real camera in it so that you can see what it sees from a screen.

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Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover News

The fifth flight of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Ingenuity Helicopter

On the 7th of May Earth time at 3:26 PM EDT or Mars time at12:33 PM, the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Ingenuity Helicopter started its 5th flight on Mars, and the flight took a total of 108 seconds. The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Ingenuity Helicopter flew from Wright Brothers field and headed 129m (423 feet) south to a new location. Upon arrival, Ingenuity took a photo of the terrain 10m (33 feet) high up in the air.

The scientists are exploring what kind of information the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Ingenuity Helicopter can provide and what more information Ingenuity can possibly provide if giving more tools.
The Ingenuity Helicopter is like a buddy to Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover, but it does not affect Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s operation. The purpose of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover is to explore Mars, take rock samples and possibly return the samples to Earth one day. By studying Mars, scientists are exploring the possibility for humans to set foot on Mars one day.

We are currently building a 1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica, which perfectly replicates the appearance of the real Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover. Although the 1:2 Rover Replica is smaller and does not have the functions that the real Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover has, it will be ultra-detailed and realistic. We also have a plan to build a replica of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Ingenuity Helicopter. If you are interested in our 1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica, you may check out [1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica Design and Building Diary].

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EDL Sensor System of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Structure Components Functions

EDL Sensor System of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover – part 1

EDL is short for Entry, Descent, and Landing for the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover mission. In order for people on Earth to learn if the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover lands successfully, or what kind of obstacles that the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover encounters while landing, the EDL microphone, the Lander Vision System Camera, the rover lookup camera, the rover lookdown camera and the Descent-stage “down look” camera were put on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s body. Our 1:2 Peseverance Mars Rover Replica will perfectly replicate the microphone and cameras, and we might even build some of them with real cameras and microphones if possible.

In the past, there are several attempts to send microphones to Mars for sound recording purposes, but none succeeded. In this mission, the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover is carrying a microphone on the side of the rover’s body in order to record the sound of the EDL process. The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s EDL microphone is rather simple – as a matter of fact, it is an average microphone that anyone can purchase in any electronic store, only with a little bit of modification by the engineers. But the downside is that it might not survive the impact when the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover lands. Since this is a simple microphone, our Perseverance Mars Rover Replica might use the same type of microphone – of course, we will match the microphone’s appearance definitely – so it will be a real microphone to record actual sounds.

When the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover is descending, the EDL microphone will record the sound of the air friction, the sound of dust hitting the rover body, the sound of the Martian wind, etc. – just like the sound that we hear before an airplane lands on the airport. If the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s EDL microphone luckily survives the impact, it will be able to record the sound of motors, wheels crushing the Martian sand, the sound of the other structure’s deployment process – just like what we hear in a car when the car is driving or opening the doors. For our 1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica, the EDL microphone will continuously work as long as it is not broken purposely.

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Communication System of Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Structure Components Functions

Antenna of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover- part 2

For the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s X-band High-Gain Antenna, different from the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s Ultra-High Frequency antenna, it communicates directly with Earth. The shape of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s X-band High-Gain Antenna is hexagonal. The diameter of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s X-band High-Gain Antenna is around 30 cm (11.81 inches), and the total weight is around 8 kg (17.64 lbs). For our 1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica, the shape of the X-band High-Gain Antenna is also hexagonal, but the diameter will be around 15 cm (5.9 inches).

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s X-band High-Gain Antenna consists of 2 components: the high gain antenna subassembly and the Gimbal mechanism subassembly. The purpose of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s X-band High-Gain Antenna is to send information of the rover’s health condition and the data recorded by the scientific instruments to Earth. Also, Earth can send instructions of daily missions for the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover. The Gimbal mechanism allows the antenna to be steerable which saves energy compared with having to rotate its whole body for the antenna to point at Earth. Our Mars Rover replica will perfectly replicate the Gimbal mechanism so it will work exactly the same as the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s X-band Low Gain antenna’s primary purpose is to receive data from Earth’s Deep Space Network antennas. The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s X-band Low Gain antenna’s feature is that it can send and receive data 360°, so it does not need to point in a certain direction to receive data, nor does it need the Gimble mechanism to work more efficiently. This advantage allows the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover to communicate with Earth at all times. Our Perseverance Mars Rover Replica will perfectly replicate the structure appearance of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s X-band Low Gain antenna, but our Mars Rover Replica will not have the actual function like the real Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s X-band Low Gain antenna.

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Communication System of Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Structure Components Functions

Antenna of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover – part 1

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover communicates with Earth via a set of antennas. The antennas are Ultra-High Frequency Antenna, X-band High-Gain Antenna, X-band Low-Gain Antenna, which are all located on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s top deck. Our 1:2 Peseverance Mars Rover Replica will perfectly replicate the appearance structure of the 3 types of antennas, but they won’ have the actual functions like the real Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s antennas.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s Ultra-High Frequency antenna is located at the back of the rover, really close to the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s power system, MMRTG. Even though the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s Ultra-High Frequency Antenna can communicate directly with Earth, the long-distance could make the process take much longer (around 5 to 20 mins as Mars rotates) and more power. Therefore, in most cases, the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s Ultra-High Frequency antenna does not transmit data to Earth directly, but instead, the data transmission is via the Mars Orbiter antennas, and then the Mars Orbiter antenna will relay information with Earth’s Deep Space Network antennas.

Another advantage to utilizing the Mars Orbiter antenna is that due to the short-distance transmission, the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s Ultra-High Frequency antenna’s frequency rate can go as high as 2 MB/s. For our Perseverance Mars Rover Replica, it won’t need to transmit massive data between remote and the Mars Rover Replica’s receiving modules, but to be closer to the real Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover, we can arrange the receiving module in the structure of the Perseverance Rover Replica‘s Ultra-High Frequency antenna.

If you are interested in our 1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica, you can check out [1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica Design and Building Diary].

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Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Structure Components Functions Power System of Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover

MMRTG of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover – part 2

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s MMRTG is essentially a nuclear power source. The radioisotope material is plutonium-238. The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MMRTG can convert heat from the natural decay of plutonium-238 to electricity, and the power produced is 110 W at the beginning of the mission. Then each year the power will drop a few percent. But since the plutonium-238 is only enough for one and a half Mars year (or three Earth years), the drop will not make a big impact on the mission. 

For our 1:2 Peserverance Mars Rover Replica, you can use rechargeable batteries or plug them into the wall. It won’t be nuclear power. With batteries, the Perseverance Mars Rover Replica can operate for around 2 hours.

Unlike on Earth, you will not get a steady sunlight accumulation on Mars, and the daily and seasonal temperature fluctuation is too abrupt. Therefore, it will be unwise and unpractical to use solar panels for the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover, at least not at the moment. This makes the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MMRTG perfect for the space mission.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MMRTG is very small but it can produce significantly more energy compared with other forms of available power supplies. Although nuclear power might sound dangerous, protections are made to ensure safety. First of all, the plutonium-238 is not weapon-grade. Second of all, the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MMRTG technology has already been used in numerous space missions, such as the Curiosity rover mission, the Apollo mission, the Viking mission, and many more for over 50 years. Therefore, it has been proved as a reliable power source for space missions. Lastly, the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MMRTG is designed to have many layers of protective materials, so that under various extreme conditions, the plutonium-238 inside will still be contained and safe.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MMRTG is able to generate electricity continuously no matter the condition. The sufficient amount of energy that the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MMRTG produces also makes it convenient for scientists to work with Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover no matter day or night.

Our 1:2 Peserverance Mars Rover Replica will perfectly replicate the structure appearance of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MMRTG. If you are interested in our Peserverance Mars Rover Replica, you can check out [1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica Design and Building Diary].