Curiosity Rover Solar Panels

Named curiosity it was the largest rover to be placed on the surface of mars.

Curiosity rover solar panels.

Curiosity carries a radioisotope power system that generates electricity from the heat of plutonium s radioactive decay. The electrical output from the mmrtg charges two rechargeable lithium ion batteries. Opportunity set a new record for travel on an extraterrestrial location by driving a total of 2806 mi 45 16 km. The 2 main drawbacks of solar panels is that they don t work during the night and they don t work during the martian winter.

This power source gives the mission an operating. Without power it cannot move use its science instruments or communicate with earth. On august 6 2012 the most recent rover landed on mars. One consequence is that the mars exploration rovers couldn t work for more that half of the time.

Of course the insight lander currently operating on the red planet bears solar panels. The curiosity rover is bigger needs more power. The power source generates 9 mj 2 5 kwh of electrical energy each day much more than the solar panels of the now retired mars exploration rovers which generated about 2 1 mj 0 58 kwh each day. The rovers by name curiosity.

Photo courtesy of nasa. They believe the dust covered the rover s solar power.