The Kennedy Space Center kicked off its Summer of Mars festival by unveiling the new Mars Rover concept.
A radical departure from the Lunar Rover, the Mars Rover was built by Parker Brothers Concepts with input from NASA engineers. The resulting vehicle is a 6,000 pound (2,721 kg) behemoth which carries four passengers and is 11 feet (3.3 meters) tall.
The concept was designed to handle the extreme terrain of Mars, so it has been equipped with a rugged suspension and 50-inch wheels that are "specifically designed to let the fine sands of Mars slip through." The concept also has solar panels and NASA says it has been designed as a dual-purpose vehicle so it can be used as a scout or as a full research laboratory.
NASA was coy on technical details but the concept has a 700-volt battery. It enables the Mars Rover to hit speeds of up to 70 mph (112 km/h) but, on the red planet, it would typically move at speeds between 10-15 mph (16-24 km/h).
The Mars Rover concept will be on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex through the end of June. It will then embark on a tour of the East Coast with stops planned in Atlanta, New York City, Jersey City, and Washington, D.C.
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