The Mars 2020 rover of NASA has shed its skin and was given a new arm. The rover now can also stand on its own, which makes everything better.
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Having gone through a few major updates this October, and having been relocated from the Spacecraft Assembly Facility to the Simulator Building at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to undergo testing, the first, inner layer of protective, anti-static foil of the rover has been removed by scientists.
… you can see a team of engineers in bunny suits (a nickname for their clean room coveralls) “unwrapping” the rover.
After removing the first layer of anti-static foil, the team of engineers wiped down the last layer of foil with 70% isopropyl alcohol. The protective foil and alcohol wipe-down are meant to prevent Earth material from hitching a ride on the rover to Mars and contaminating the surface of the planet.
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A few days later at JPL, on Oct. 8, the Mars 2020 rover carried its full weight on its six legs and wheels for the first time ever.
More details over at Space.com.
(Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Source: neatorama