Summary

Technology development makes missions possible. Each Mars mission is part of a continuing chain of innovation. Each relies on past missions for proven technologies and contributes its own innovations to future missions. This chain allows NASA to push the boundaries of what is currently possible, while still relying on proven technologies.

Below are examples of the way in which the Mars Exploration Rover mission relies on past technologies and contributes new ones.

Technologies of Broad Benefit Propulsion: for providing the energy to get to Mars and conduct long-term studies Power: for providing more efficient and increased electricity to the spacecraft and its subsystems Telecommunications: for sending commands and receiving data faster and in greater amounts Avionics: electronics for operating the spacecraft and its subsystems Software Engineering: for providing the computing and commands necessary to operate the spacecraft and its subsystems In-situ Exploration and Sample Return Entry, Descent, and Landing: for ensuring precise and safe landings Autonomous Planetary Mobility: for enabling the rovers to make decisions and avoid hazards on their own Technologies for Severe Environments: for making systems robust enough to handle extreme conditions in space and on Mars Sample Return Technologies: for collecting and returning rock, soil, and atmospheric samples back to Earth for further laboratory analysis Planetary Protection Technologies: for cleaning and sterilizing spacecraft and handling soil, rock, and atmospheric samples Science Instruments Remote Science Instrumentation: for collecting Mars data from orbit In-situ Instrumentation: for collecting Mars data from the surface