High Gain Antenna Gimbal para la misión Mars Science Laboratory
As part of a technological cooperation agreement between the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the CDTI, SENER is taking part in the next NASA Mars mission. The mission, known as the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), intends to examine rocks in order to determine the geological processes that caused them, to study the Martian atmosphere and determine the distribution and circulation of water and carbon dioxide in any of their states: solid, liquid or gas.
SENER is contributing to the mission by developing the pointing mechanism (HGAG) for the high-gain antenna that will allow direct two-way communication between the Rover on Mars and the monitoring stations on Earth. The HGAG is a pointing mechanism with two levels of freedom, elevation above the azimuth, which is integrated on the Rover platform to enable the antenna to be accurately aimed at the Earth. Each level of freedom moves independently by means of an actuator to achieve the required speed and accuracy. The mechanism also integrates a mooring system during launch, which will be freed once the Rover is on the surface of Mars.
The detailed design phase is nearing completion, after which SENER will produce a classification model and two flight models. The MSL mission will leave for Mars in the autumn of 2009.
