The Mars Pathfinder Lander employs numerous mechanisms, as well as autonomous mechanical functions, during its Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) Sequence. This is the first US lander of its kind, since it is unguided and airbag-protected for hard landing using airbags, instead of retro rockets, to soft land. The arrival condition, location, and orientation of the Lander will only be known by the computer on the Lander. The Lander will then autonomously perform the appropriate sequence to retract the airbags, right itself, and open, such that the Lander is nearly level with no airbag material covering the solar cells. This function uses two different types of mechanisms - the Airbag Retraction Actuators and the Lander Petal Actuators - which are designed for the high torque, low temperature, dirty environment and for limited life application. The development of these actuators involved investigating low temperature lubrication, Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) to cut gears, and gear design for limited life use.


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    Title :

    Mars pathfinder lander deployment mechanisms


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    1996-05-01


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Mars Pathfinder Lander Deployment Mechanisms

    Gillis-Smith, G. / United States; National Aeronautics and Space Administration | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1996


    Mars Pathfinder Lander Deployment Mechanisms

    Gillis-Smith, Greg R. | NTRS | 1996



    Mars Pathfinder Lander battery and solar array performance

    Surampudi, S. / Otzinger, B. / Perrone, D. et al. | AIAA | 1998


    Mars Pathfinder Lander Battery and Solar Array Performance

    Surampudi, S. / Otzinger, B. / Perrone, D. et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1998