The US space agency NASA has announced that its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will be sending a helicopter to the Red Planet on the upcoming Mars 2020 rover mission. The rotors will be controlled by robust DC motors from maxon motor in Switzerland. It will land on Mars in February 2021 while attached to the bottom of the rover. During the first 30 days of the mission it will undertake several autonomous flights, each lasting up to 90 seconds. It will send inflight images of Mars back to Earth for the first time. The Mars helicopter technology will lay the way for many future scientific and exploratory missions to Mars. Similar robots could serve as flying eyes for future rovers, exploring the surroundings and finding the best route for the rover.
For the small helicopter to fly, it takes an enormous engineering effort. The thin air on Mars is comparable to the conditions prevailing on Earth at an altitude of 30 kilometres. Even accounting for the reduced Martian gravity, the helicopter must therefore be particularly light (1,8 kilograms) and can only carry small batteries. This requires that the components used are extremely energy-efficient, a characteristic of maxon’s DC motors. The drives from Switzerland have proven themselves in many previous Mars missions and will also be used in JPL’s helicopter. Six DCX precision micro motors with a diameter of 10 mm are responsible for moving the swashplate and hence adjusting the inclination of the rotor blades i.e. for controlling the vehicle.
The helicopter propulsion system is designed and built by AeroVironment under contract from JPL. maxon engineers have been working closely with the specialists at AeroVironment who are world experts in building micro air vehicles. After a year of development work, NASA’s approval for the inclusion of the helicopter project in the Mars2020 mission is an additional motivation for the Swiss drive specialists. “Being part of another Mars pioneering project makes us incredibly proud and happy,” says Eugen Elmiger, CEO of maxon motor.
The Mars helicopter is just one of several other Mars projects that maxon is currently involved in. For example, in the European Space Agency’s ExoMars rover more than 50 drives are located in the wheels, drill head, analysis unit and camera mast. This mission is also scheduled for launch in 2020. In November 2018, NASA’s InSight lander studied the Red Planet’s seismic activity and planet core temperature. A powerful and robust DC motor from maxon drove a pile driver type mechanism that burrowed almost five metres deep into the Martian soil.
WEG partners with Panaco in the DRC Zest WEG Group Africa
Editor's Choice News & events
The strengthened presence of WEG in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), through its strategic alliance with ts value-added reseller (VAR) Panaco, has proved to be highly successful.
Read more...Execution of the massive Azmet Reactor project DRC
Editor's Choice News & events
The Azmet Reactor project, a collaborative effort led by Viva Engineering, involved fabricating six massive reactors that were over three stories high in Gauteng, and then transporting these more than 2500 kilometres to a mine in the DRC - where all 3265 parts fitted perfectly, with not even one of the 26 900 bolts out of place. This was a massive achievement.
Read more...The time is now to implement a motor management strategy Schneider Electric South Africa
Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Motor management plays an all-important role in controlling motor energy costs in various industries, segments and applications. Research and practical experience have consistently shown that effective motor management practices can result in significant energy savings, reduced operational costs, and improved overall system reliability.
Read more...SKF’s successful raid action in Cape Town SKF South Africa
Editor's Choice Shaft power components
Authorities, with collaborative support from SKF, recently conducted a large and highly effective raid on a very well-known bearing seller of SKF bearings in Cape Town.
Read more...Case study on automotive quality control Motion Tronic
Editor's Choice
Motion Tronic selected high-performance PLCs and HMIs from Inovance Technology to engineer a smart catalytic converter quality control solution for the exhaust facility at Toyota South Africa Motors.
Read more...PC-based motion control on a labelling machine Beckhoff Automation
Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
For 50 years, Bausch+Ströbel in Germany has been developing packaging and production systems for the pharmaceutical industries. The company’s goal is to offer the best technical and economical solutions for the challenges of modern industry. Its new ESA1025 labelling machine shows how this is achieved with PC-based control from Beckhoff as the central motion controller.
Read more...Thrust for hybrid electric flying
Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Several leading academic institutes in Germany are collaborating on the future of hybrid electric flying. The partners are researching an entirely new propulsion system for medium-range aircraft with up to 35 passengers.
Read more...Tough couplings for tough industries Bearing Man Group T/A BMG
Editor's Choice
BMG’s extensive range of power transmission components encompasses robust products from Regal Rexnord, a leading manufacturer of critical system components that perform efficiently under rigorous demands in diverse applications.
Read more...Hydraulic connectors with residual pressure
Editor's Choice Hydraulic systems & components
Hydraulic connections are vital in both outdoor and indoor industrial machinery. However, the hydraulics lines frequently require connecting and disconnecting for maintenance or changeover. The goal is to enable quick, easy swaps to enhance machine flexibility and productivity.
Read more...Inovance brings advanced motion control to South Africa Motion Tronic
Editor's Choice
Inovance and its South African distributor, Motion Tronic are launching the Easy Series PLC in this country, bringing its flexible, high-performance motion control solution to customers across South Africa in a wide range of industry sectors.
printer friendly version