Surface
Vehicle
Background
Martian TerrainVehicle
Lunar Rover
Size and CompositionCommunication and Navigation
Suspension
Wheels
Steering/Brakes
Power
Modular Trailer System
A
mechanical suspension system similar to that used on the Apollo Lunar Rover
will be employed. This type of suspension basically functions as a dampened
spring and provides a smoother ride without the extreme bouncing and tilting
that can occur from descending from obstacles in lower gravity.
A rocker-bogie system similar to those being employed on Pathfinder-type rovers was originally our first choice. Though this suspension method is capable of traversing very uneven terrain and of maintaining balance at high angles of tilt, its top speed is too slow to cover the amount of terrain that will be required for the mission. Hydraulic and pneumatic systems have been ruled out because of the extreme temperature on the surface. Neither system would function properly in the bitter cold. |
