Moon Rover Solar Panels

One panel is tilted toward the eastern horizon while the other faces west.

Moon rover solar panels.

Scientists and engineers ask questions about what job they want a rover to do and the environment where the rover will be working. The moon for example has no air. This artist s concept shows the deployment of solar arrays which convert sunlight into electricity on an initial lunar camp of the future. A b c d e nasa s viper lunar rover will hunt water on the moon in 2022.

From nasa s mars curiosity rover s mastcam humanity learns exactly what martian solar eclipses look like. Mars s smaller more distant moon deimos appears as barely a dot against the bright orb. The rover which has been entered in the competition for the 25 million google lunar x prize features two motors in the hub of each wheel a flat radiator tilted up to the sky on one side and a. Immediately after landing two large flexible solar arrays are rolled out window shade fashion from the lander.

The rover would convert this laser light into electrical power using a modified version of a standard solar panel with photodiodes on the sides of the panel keeping it locked onto the laser down. Operating at the poles means there s no sunlight to harvest with solar panels so the rover will carry all the power it needs to last 100 days there. I m currently designing solar panels for a lunar rover msc project. The electricity they produce powers the wheels and the sensors the rover uses to conduct science experiments.

These solar panels are usually on top of the rover. Viper is a limited time mission.