For the die-hard fans of the Batman movie franchise the unveiling by NASA of their new vehicle at the Kennedy Space Centre Visitor Complex should be a thing of beauty. The vehicle, which was designed to scour the surface of Mars, looks exactly like the Batmobile. The rover, which has six wheels and an angular shape has been in development since late 2016, while it made entirely of carbon fibre and aluminium, and is solar-powered. It was designed to carry four astronauts and comes with its own lab. ‘While this exact rover is not expected to operate on Mars, one or more of its elements could make its way into a rover astronauts will drive on the Red Planet.’ NASA says.
The rover operates on an electric motor, powered by solar panels and a 700-volt battery, with a separation in the middle with the front area designed for scouting and equipped with a radio and navigation provided by the Global Positioning System.
The back section serves as a laboratory which can disconnect for autonomous research.
Following several weeks on display at Kennedy’s visitor complex, the Mars rover concept vehicle will be displayed at several locations.