The Kennedy Space Center kicked off its Summer of
Mars festival by unveiling the new Mars Rover concept. A radical departure from
the Lunar Rover, the Mars Rover was built by Parker Brothers Concepts with
input from NASA engineers. The resulting vehicle is a 6,000 pound (2,721 kg)
behemoth which carries four passengers and is 3.3 meters tall.
The concept was designed to handle the extreme
terrain of Mars, so it has been equipped with a rugged suspension and 50-inch
wheels that are "specifically designed to let the fine sands of Mars slip
through." The concept also has solar panels and NASA says it has been
designed as a dual-purpose vehicle so it can be used as a scout or as a full
research laboratory.
NASA was coy on technical details but the concept
has a 700-volt battery. It enables the Mars Rover to hit speeds of up to 112 km/h but, on the red planet, it would typically move at speeds between 16-24 km/h.
The Mars Rover concept will be on display at the
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex through the end of June. It will then
embark on a tour of the East Coast with stops planned in Atlanta, New York
City, Jersey City, and Washington, D.C.
