Space Exploration Rovers

A brief introduction of space exploration rovers.

Space Exploration Rover

What is a Rover?

A rover is a vehicle designed to move across a surface, typically where the environment is too harsh or unpredictable for humans to safely navigate. The most common use case for rovers is space exploration, but they are also used in disaster management, smart cities, agriculture, forestry, and environmental monitoring.

Rovers are typically unmanned or semi-autonomous, although there are some manned rovers like the Lunar Roving Vehicle. Fully autonomous rovers are the ultimate goal for space exploration. Rovers are used to collect data, perform actions, and improve efficiency and productivity in places where humans cannot go.

Space exploration rovers face unique challenges compared to Earth-based rovers. These challenges include:

1. The harsh environment of space, including extreme temperatures, radiation, and dust.
2. The long distances involved in space travel.
3. The need for high reliability and autonomy.
4. Technology limitations

Despite these challenges, space exploration rovers have made significant contributions to our understanding of the solar system and has the potential to improve our understanding about the universe tremendously. They have helped us to learn about the geology, climate, and history of other planets.

Another major area of focus is the search for the signs of extra terrestrial life, whose impact can significantly change how we look at the universe.

The history of space exploration rovers

Before we dive into the technologies, let us first revisit the history of the space rovers. The below table is the list of some of the successful space exploration rovers and the years during which they were/are operational.

The first rover was the Lunokhod 1, which landed on the Moon in 1970. It was a small, remote-controlled rover that travelled for 19 kilometres. Sojourner, a small, six-wheeled rover is the first rover that was landed on Mars. Lunar Roving Vehicle is a manned four-wheeled rover that was used by astronauts on the Moon during the Apollo missions 15, 16 and 17. Pragyan is the latest rover that has landed on the lunar south pole.

Objectives

The objectives of space exploration rovers (SE Rovers) in the order of the importance:

1. Survive: The first and most important objective of any rover is to survive the environment it is deployed in. This includes the harsh conditions of space, such as extreme temperatures, radiation, and dust. The rover must also be able to withstand the impact of landing and the hazards of the terrain it is exploring.
2. Communicate: The rover must be able to communicate with Earth to send and receive data. This data can be used to control the rover, monitor its health, and receive instructions from the scientists who are operating it.
3. Navigate: The rover must be able to navigate its environment safely and efficiently. This includes avoiding obstacles, planning its route, and determining its location.
4. Carry out its mission objectives: The rover’s specific mission objectives will vary depending on the planet it is exploring and the scientific questions it is designed to answer. However, some common mission objectives include collecting samples, taking photographs, and analysing data.

The order of these objectives may change depending on the specific circumstances. For example, if the rover is in danger of being destroyed, its survival may become the top priority. However, in general, these are the four most important objectives of any space exploration rover.

Major Components

The components required by the rover to do the above activities are

1. Body: The body of the rover is the most important component. It protects the rover from the harsh environment of space, such as extreme temperatures, radiation, and dust. The body is also responsible for providing structural support for the other components.
2. Sensors: The sensors on the rover help it to survive, navigate, and collect data. Some common sensors include cameras, radar, and spectrometers. Cameras are used to see the environment around the rover. Radar is used to detect obstacles and determine the rover’s location. Spectrometers are used to analyse the composition of rocks and soils.
3. Brain: The brain of the rover is a computer that controls all of its functions. It receives data from the sensors, analyses it, and then sends commands to the actuators. The brain is also responsible for planning the rover’s route and avoiding obstacles.
4. Actuators: The actuators on the rover are the components that move it and allow it to interact with its environment. Some common actuators include wheels, legs, and robotic arms. Wheels are used to move the rover across the surface of a planet. Legs are used to move the rover over rough terrain. Robotic arms are used to collect samples and manipulate objects.
5. Power: The power system provides the energy for all of the components on the rover. It is typically a battery or solar array. The battery provides power when the rover is not in sunlight. The solar array provides power when the rover is in sunlight.

With this brief introduction, I conclude this article. I will be writing more articles exploring the technologies and challenges of space exploration rovers in the future, so stay tuned!

PS. The picture in this article is painted by me. I would love to hear your comments and suggestions.