NASA reveals new Martian rover

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Nasa is set to begin construction of its next Mars rover, the space agency has revealed.

Known as the Mars Rover 2020, will investigate a region of Mars where the ancient environment may have been favourable for microbial life, probing the Martian rocks for evidence of past life.

It will also collect samples of soil and rock and cache them on the surface for potential return to Earth by a future mission.

After an extensive review process and passing a major development milestone, the space agency said today it is ready to proceed with final design and construction of the vehicle.

It is currently targeted to launch in the summer of 2020 and arrive on the Red Planet in February 2021.

'The Mars 2020 rover is the first step in a potential multi-mission campaign to return carefully selected and sealed samples of Martian rocks and soil to Earth,' said Geoffrey Yoder, acting associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

'This mission marks a significant milestone in NASA's Journey to Mars – to determine whether life has ever existed on Mars, and to advance our goal of sending humans to the Red Planet.'

To reduce risk and provide cost savings, the 2020 rover will look much like its six-wheeled, one-ton predecessor, Curiosity, but with an array of new science instruments and enhancements to explore Mars as never before.

For example, the rover will conduct the first investigation into the usability and availability of Martian resources, including oxygen, in preparation for human missions.

Mars 2020 will carry an entirely new subsystem to collect and prepare Martian rocks and soil samples that includes a coring drill on its arm and a rack of sample tubes.

About 30 of these sample tubes will be deposited at select locations for return on a potential future sample-retrieval mission.

In laboratories on Earth, specimens from Mars could be analyzed for evidence of past life on Mars and possible health hazards for future human missions.

Two science instruments mounted on the rover's robotic arm will be used to search for signs of past life and determine where to collect samples by analyzing the chemical, mineral, physical and organic characteristics of Martian rocks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_2020

 

[Caring1]

So this means they are abandoning the old version on the surface and placing another unit there.
I see space is the new dumping ground, it's a pity they can't re-use the original version but that would mean a mission to pick it up and repair it.
A new set of tyres and an Intel Inside sticker and she's good to go.

 

[rhkcommander959]

@Caring1, and a new camera amongst other things. They might keep using curiosity too, but it has outlived it's lifespan.

Sounds neat, I will read into it more later. Thanks for the news post

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

http://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/instruments/


Mastcam-z
An advanced camera system with panoramic and stereoscopic imaging capability with the ability to zoom. The instrument also will determine mineralogy of the Martian surface and assist with rover operations.

MEDA
A set of sensors that will provide measurements of temperature, wind speed and direction, pressure, relative humidity and dust size and shape.

MOXIE
An exploration technology investigation that will produce oxygen from Martian atmospheric carbon dioxide.

PIXL
An X-ray fluorescence spectrometer that will also contain an imager with high resolution to determine the fine scale elemental composition of Martian surface materials. PIXL will provide capabilities that permit more detailed detection and analysis of chemical elements than ever before

RIMFAX
An X-ray fluorescence spectrometer that will also contain an imager with high resolution to determine the fine scale elemental composition of Martian surface materials. PIXL will provide capabilities that permit more detailed detection and analysis of chemical elements than ever before

SHERLOC
A spectrometer that will provide fine-scale imaging and uses an ultraviolet (UV) laser to determine fine-scale mineralogy and detect organic compounds. SHERLOC will be the first UV Raman spectrometer to fly to the surface of Mars and will provide complementary measurements with other instruments in the payload.

SUPERCAM
An instrument that can provide imaging, chemical composition analysis, and mineralogy. The instrument will also be able to detect the presence of organic compounds in rocks and regolith from a distance. This instrument also has a significant contribution from the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales,Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (CNES/IRAP) France.