Maxon Motor Heads for Mars in 2020

(20 Minuten, July 04, 2017)

The Swiss company Maxon Motor is producing the actuation systems for NASA’s Rover Mars 2020 mission. Weighting 816 kilograms, the robot is designed to look for forms of life on Mars, just like its predecessor Curiosity, which is celebrating its five years on Mars this August. Rover Mars will collect samples and prepare them for future missions to be brought back to Earth. On top of that, the robot will be equipped with a tool to find out whether or not oxygen could be produced from the Martian atmosphere. Rover Mars 2020 is not the only project relying on Maxon Motor’s technology. NASA’s seismic activity instrument called “Mission Insight Lander”, to be launched in 2018, as well as a ESA rover sent to Mars will integrate the company’s actuation systems.