News from Mars
myonic ball bearings are also spinning on and around Mars!
Ball bearings manufactured in Leutkirch are not just used on our beautiful planet. Now they are also found on Mars, where they demonstrate their high-grade precision and quality:
On the surface of Mars – NASA Mars Rover “Curiosity”
On November 26, 2011, the NASA mission “Mars Rover” starts from Cape Canaveral to deliver the remote-controlled robot vehicle “Curiosity” with different measuring devices and tools to Mars. Its landing was confirmed on August 6, 2012.
After the landing, Curiosity began sending images back to Earth. The Curiosity robot contains a novelty for Mars.
A cooling system for infrared devices. This “Cooler K508 ” features myonic’s ball bearings from Leutkirch, the ULQW 917 X ball bearing, to be precise.
The systems are all in top condition and “Curiosity” has successfully exceeded its originally estimated functional lifecycle by far.
In orbit around Mars – the Indian space probe Mangalyaan
On September 25, 2014, the camera of the Indian Mars probe Mangalyaan, which had set out for Mars on November 5, 2013 from the Space Center Andhra Pradesh and entered an elliptical orbit on September 24, 2014, transmitted its first colour image of the Mars atmosphere from a height of around 8,449 km.
The main purpose of this mission was to achieve a stable orbit around Mars. Additional objectives are the testing of deep-space communication as well as the planning and execution of an interplanetary mission. Mangalyaan is to orbit Mars for at least six months and examine the weather on the red planet using solar-powered instruments.
As a side effect, the scientists are hoping to obtain insights regarding the whereabouts of the former liquid water on the surface. Special guest on the Mars probe: myonic ball bearings from Leutkirch!