The Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM) in Bengaluru will showcase a life-size replica of NASA's Mars Rover Opportunity in its Space Technology Gallery. The replica, built by Cornell University students in the US, was originally displayed at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum in Virginia and later exhibited at the 2020 World Expo in Dubai.
It was received by the American Center in the US Consulate in Chennai, where it was on display from November 2022 to March 2023.
The Mars Rover Opportunity, like many other spacecraft, has been crafted with a concoction of stainless steel, titanium, and aluminium alloys. One thing common to all these elements is the lightweight factor, which is crucial for making outer space modules.
Aluminum is a lightweight material with a 2.7 g/cm3 density, making it much lighter than steel and iron. It is nonmagnetic and can be easily converted into various shapes. Additionally, it is an effective conductor of heat and electricity and is corrosion-free due to its oxide layers on the surface. Aluminum alloy 2024 has a melting point of about 570°C, while aluminium alloy 6061 has a melting point of about 600°C. The thermal conductivity of aluminium alloy 2024 is 140W / (mK) and 150W / (mK) for aluminium alloy 6061. All these factors mingled together make aluminium a perfect non-ferrous metal for the aerospace industry.
Any space probe device should not have an excessive body weight wherein it becomes difficult to incorporate essential sensory modules in the system that are important for deciphering space data.
In 2003, NASA launched two rovers to explore Mars and search for evidence of ancient water. The second rover, Opportunity, made important discoveries during its 15-year mission on the Red Planet. It found evidence of a wet area on Mars and conditions that could have potentially supported microbial life.
Unfortunately, Opportunity stopped communicating with Earth during a severe dust storm in 2018, and engineers were unable to revive it despite their efforts. The rover's final communication was received in June of 2018.
VITM, a popular attraction, plans to create activities for students and visitors inspired by the Mars Rover and space exploration.
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