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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].

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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].