2020 Mars Rover Passes it’s First-Ever Driving Test

The rover that NASA is planning to send to Mars in 2020, recently completed its first-ever driving test. As a result, the rover successfully got the driver’s license. The development is significant, as the rover is getting this license a whopping six months after the vehicle attached to the wheel system. The chief mobility system engineer of the project, Rich Rieber, confirmed the recent development. 

In a statement, the American Space Agency, NASA, revealed that the rover completed the steering, turning, and driving test. The scientists tested the rover on a three feet increment. The Mars rover managed to complete a ten hours marathon successfully, the spokesperson from NASA revealed. Later, scientists confirmed that all of the individual systems are functioning properly. 

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The spokesperson from NASA termed this development as a major milestone for the upcoming Mars mission, which scheduled for the upcoming year. The recent test shows that the rover can function properly on the Martian surface. It can demonstrate the navigation function on its own; he further revealed. 

The ground team of the rover is extremely confident about the success of the rover on the surface of the mars. While giving the reasoning, one of the associated scientists stated that the rover is functioning pretty well in almost every test on the earth’s surface. As the planet earth is having a much stronger gravitational field than mars, it is logical to say that the rover will perform even better on the red planet’s surface, he further revealed.

The rover will touch the Martian surface by the end of March in 2021. Scientists attached better quality cameras on the rover in comparison to its predecessors. The addition of an extra computer system will enable a better quality of image, scientists explained. The addition of an extra computer provides space for other equipment as well. The Mars rover could drive around 650 feet in a martian day. The rover will analyze the climate and geology of the red planet.