The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)engineers recently installed the legs and wheels known as the mobilitysuspension on the Mars 2020 rover, as stated in a latest release of NASA's JetPropulsion Laboratory (JPL).
According to a report, more than a dozen "bunny suit"clad engineers integrated the rover's legs and wheels on June 13 in the cleanroom of the Spacecraft Assembly Facility at JPL, making another milestone inthe rover's building.
According to JPL, it was the integration effort of theengineering team that the rocker-bogie suspension system has been establishedto keep the rover body balanced, enabling it to "rock" up or down depending onthe various positions of the six wheels.
The current wheels which measure 52.5 centimeters in diameter and machined with traction-providing cleats or grousers are engineering models that will be replaced with flight models next year, according to JPL.
It also said that every wheel has its own motor. The twofront and two rear wheels also have individual steering motors that enable thevehicle to turn a full 360 degrees in place.
It has been reported that Mars 2020 will launch fromCape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in July 2020. It is scheduled toland at Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021.
