The project is to make a functional model of the Rosalind Franklin rover. In addition to having a similar aesthetic, this scale model will be able to recharge its batteries with solar energy, it will move and can drill a surface to collect a sample. The finished model will be deployed on the day of the landing of the real ExoMars rover on the planet Mars.
The model of the rover is designed by the students of the Space Campus UPEC but the construction of the different parts will be ensured by other UPEC structures (high school, engineering schools, …).
This model has a triple function :
- Communication and mediation
The model will be used in scientific mediation projects. It will become a mascotte to demonstrate the functions of the actual rover to non-specialized audiences in France.
- Scientific pedagogy
Once the mediation projects are completed, the rover model will serve as an educational and pedagogic tool. It will be used for the development of new algorithms and softwares.
- Research and modelization
As a conform copy of the actual rover, the Space Campus model will be used to perform several experiments to better understand how the Rosalind Franklin rover behaves on Mars. For this, the replica will be sent on Mars-like environments such as the Atacama desert (Chile), in order to copy the actual rover evolution once exposed to sand for instance.
