LIVE to Mars
Three missions have arrived at Mars in the past few weeks. This shows that The Red Planet has lost none of its fascination.
A story from the Swiss Museum of Transport Magazine March 2021
Is or was there life on Mars? Numerous spacecraft have investigated this question over the past 40 years. The research fleet grew by three members in February 2021. The United Arab Emirates' probe "Al-Amal" ("Hope"), the Chinese "Tianwen-1" ("Heaven's Question-1") and the American vehicle "Perseverance" arrived at or around the Red Planet in quick succession.
Different research intentions
The UAE mission will focus on the atmosphere and the Martian climate, while the Chinese are expected to deploy a landing unit with a rover in May and in the meantime scout the landing site with a high-resolution camera.
Spectacular landing
NASA landed its one-ton research vehicle in a spectacular way: After entering the Martian atmosphere, "Perseverance" slowed down first with the help of a parachute, then with rocket thrusters. The robot was then lowered the last 20 meters to the Martian soil.
Cooperative livestream
This event was accompanied by a live stream by the Society of German-Speaking Planetariums in collaboration with the Planetarium Berlin Foundation. The Verkehrshaus Planetarium contributed visualizations and explanations that were watched live by over 50,000 viewers on their screens at home.
Electric motors from Central Switzerland
"Perseverance" has a Swiss connection: Maxon Motor AG from Sachseln OW supplied several electric motors for the drive and control system. A premiere is yet to follow: The first motorized flight on another planet. In the rover's luggage is the small helicopter drone "Ingenuity" - also powered by electric motors from Switzerland.
Full-scale replicas of the Mars rover can be admired in the space exhibition.
Author
Marc Horat
Head of Planetarium