Tag: Mars Perseverance Rover MMRTG weight

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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 1

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) is the power supply for the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover, which is located at the end of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover.

The weight of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MMRTG is around 99 lbs or 45 kg. The diameter of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MMRTG is around 25 inches or 64 cm, and the length is around 26 inches or 66 cm. For our 1:2 Perserance Mars Rover Replica, the diameter will be around 12.5 inches or 32 cm, and the length will be around 13 inches or 33cm.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MMRTG has mainly three jobs:

  1. Provide electricity to the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover while operating during day and night. It is expected to generate 110 W in the beginning, and it will reduce only a few percent each year. Although the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MMRTG is designed to work over 10 years, with limited nuclear material, it will only actually going to run for one and a half Mars year, which is an equivalent of three Earth years. Therefore, the few percent reductions in power level are not a big deal.
  2. Charges 2 rechargeable lithium batteries. These 2 batteries are used when the demand power is larger than the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MMRTG can supply at the time. As a matter of fact, sometimes the demand power can go up to 900 W, but the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover’s MMRTG can only make 110 W, so that’s when the 2 rechargeable lithium batteries come in to ensure the mission can continue.
  3. Warm up the instruments on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover. Mars, compared with Earth, is a cold planet. In order for the science instruments to operate, heat is needed to keep them at a workable temperature.

For our 1:2 Perseverance Mars Rover Replica, the operating power will not be 110 W because the science instruments on the rover are only decorations. Although the Perseverance Mars Rover Replica can simulate some of the real Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover‘s movements, the power required will be significantly small. 

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].