What are the rovers made of?
They are made of many different materials. They are made of the same types of materials found everyday here on Earth in computers, automobiles, solar panels, mylar balloons, bicycles, tv sets, and even camping equipment. That shouldn’t be surprising though, since many of the materials that we see everyday came from efforts related to space exploration. Expert: David Edward Herman Deep Space Avionics Project Avionics System Engineering Team Lead Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology Question: Why dose it not hurt the Rover when it lands with sell matl . Hannah Answer: Hello Hannah, If the rover doesn’t slow down enough, it can be hurt when it lands. We do several things to help it slow down. First, we use a parachute to slow down. Then, right before it hits the surface, we fire retro-rockets to slow down even more. Finally, we inflate big airbags after the retro-rockets are done and we bounce and roll to a stop. Good question!
