Page 28 - Engineering Career Guide, 4th Edition

features
A CLOSER LOOK AT MARS
NASA’s latest rover brings us ever closer to setting foot on Mars.
A A l l m m o o s s t t 6 6 0 0 y ye e a a r r s s o o f f N N A A S S A A m m i i s s s s i i o o n n s s t t o o M M a a r r s s
h h a av ve e b b r r o o u u g g h h t t u u s s w w i i t t h h i i n n v v i i e e w w o o f f p p e e o o p p l l e e a a c c t t u u - - a l l y s e t t i n g f o o t o n t h e p l a n e t t o s e e w h a t
o o u u r r n n e e a a r r b b y y r r e e d d n n e e i i g g h h b b o o r r l l o o o o k k s s l l i i k ke e u u p p c c l l o o s s e e a a n n d d i i n n p p e e r r s s o o n n . . F Fr r o o m m f f l l y y - - b b y y s s t t o o s s a a t t e e l l l l i i t t e e s s t t o o l l a a n n d d e e r r s s a a n n d d rovers, generations of engineers have designed
a n d c r e a t e d a n a m a z i n g s e r i e s o f t o o l s a n d t e c h - nologies that have brought Mars’s past and pres- e e n n t t t t o o l l i i f f e e i i n n f f r r o o n n t t o o f f o o u u r r v ve e r r y y e e y ye e s s . .
The earliest missions helped us map the planet a a n n d d t t r r a a c c k k i i t t s s w w e e a a t t h h e e r r. . L L a a n n d d i i n n g g i i n n c c r r e e a a s s i i n n g g l l y y s s o o p p h h i i s s - - t t i i c c a a t t e e d d s s c c i i e e n n t t i i f f i i c c i i n n s s t t r r u u m m e e n n t t s s o o n n t t h h e e s s u u r r f f a a c ce e h h a a s s
t t a a u u g g h h t t u u s s a a b b o o u u t t t t h h e e h h i i s s t t o o r r y y a a n n d d c c h h e e m m i i c c a a l l c c o o m m p p o o s s i i - - t t i i o o n n o o f f t t h h e e M M a a r r t t i i a a n n r r o o c c k k s s a a n n d d s s a a n n d d b b o o t t h h a a b b o ov ve e a a n n d d b e l o w g r o u n d .
The latest mission — landing the Perseverance r r o o v v e e r r i i n n a a n n a a n n c c i i e e n n t t l l a a k ke e b b e e d d — — m m a a r r k k s s a a n n i i n n c c r r e e d d i i b b l l e e l l e e a a p p t t o o w w a a r r d d s s f f i i g g u u r r i i n n g g o o u u t t h h o o w w t t o o m m a a k ke e h h u u m m a a n n e e x x- - p p l l o o r r a a t t i i o o n n o o f f M M a a r r s s a a r r e e a a l l i i t t y y. . D D e e p p o o s s i i t t i i n n g g P P e e r r s s e e v v e e r r - - ance in this ancient lakebed, the Jezero Crater,
w w a a s s l l i i k ke e p p r r o o g g r r a a m m m m i i n n g g a a n n d d p p r r o o p p e e l l l l i i n n g g a a d d a a r r t t t t o o g g o o f f r r o o m m W Wa a s s h h i i n n g g t t o o n n , , D D C C , , t t o o a a b b u u l l l l ’ ’s s - - e e y y e e i i n n D D a a l l l l a a s s . .
P P e e r r s s e e v v e e r r a a n n c c e e i i s s a a b b o o u u t t t t h h e e s s i i z z e e o o f f a a s s m m a a l l l l c c a a r r, , a a n n d d s s i i n n c ce e l l a a n n d d i i n n g g i i n n e e a a r r l l y y 2 2 0 02 2 1 1 , , i i t t h h a a s s t t r r a av ve e l l e e d d
over 12 miles from where it touched down. The
r rover is conducting a continuous series of experi- m m e e n n t t s s — — t t a a k k i i n n g g s s u u b b s s u u r r f f a a c ce e g g e e o o l l o o g g i i c c a a l l s s a a m m p p l l e e s s
to look for signs of life, seeking evidence of water, and testing methods for producing oxygen on
t t h h e e s s u u r r f f a a c ce e t t h h a a t t p p e e o o p p l l e e m m i i g g h h t t o o n n e e d d a ay y b b e e a a b b l l e e
t t o o b b r r e e a a t t h h e e. .
All the while, it is transmitting enormous vol-
u u m m e e s s o o f f d d a a t t a a b b a a c c k k t t o o e e a a r r t t h h t t h h a a t t h h a a v v e e g g i i v v e e n n u u s s t t h h e e m m o o s s t t c co o l l o o r r f f u u l l , , f f i i n n e e - - g g r r a a i i n n e e d d v v i i e e w w o o f f t t h h e e M M a a r r t t i i a a n n
l l a a n n d d s s c c a a p p e e t t h h a a t t w w e e h h a av v e e e e v v e e r r s s e e e e n n . . A A n n d d P P e e r r s s e e v v e e r r - - a a n n c ce e a a l l s s o o b b r r o o u u g g h h t t a a s s m m a a l l l l h h e e l l i i c co o p p t t e e r r t t o o M M a a r r s s , ,
w h i c h i t h a s l a u n c h e d a n d l a n d e d m o r e t h a n 5 0
t t i i m m e e s s o o n n i i t t s s w w i i n n d d i i n n g g p p a a t t h h i i n n a a n n d d a a r r o o u u n n d d t t h h e e c c r r a a t t e e r r. .
Every new mission to Mars has allowed us to
s see more widely and deeply into the planet’s his- tory and current circumstances. Perseverance has brought us closer than ever to seeing the planet w with our own eyes. It is almost a sure thing that
a among the engineering and science majors of to- d day are the first people who will set foot on Mars o one upcoming tomorrow.
28 START-ENGINEERING.COM COURTESY NASA