NASA Unveils Futuristic Mars Rover Concept Vehicle

The National Aeronautics and Space Association a.k.a. NASA recently unveiled a futuristic Mars Rover Concept Vehicle for its "Summer of Mars" promotion campaign. A vehicle that appears to have come straight out of a science fiction movie was built to inspire and educate young people who want to learn more about NASA's plans and development for its journey to the Red Planet. The vehicle was unveiled at the Kennedy Space Centre Visitor's Complex, where the Summer of Mars Campaign is currently being hosted.

Unlike the actual Rovers, which are built for unmanned trips to Mars, this concept vehicle comes with seats for four occupants along with a small laboratory at the back to conduct research and experiments. Sadly, this vehicle is not built for any actual space journey or project but only for educational purposes and encourages future generations to keep exploring our sister planet. According to Rebecca Shireman, assistant manager of public relations for the Kennedy visitor complex, the 'Summer of Mars' programme will provide a survey of NASA's studies of Mars. "It's an all-encompassing effort to review the history of our efforts to explore Mars and look ahead to what is being planned," she said. "We hope this will encourage young people to want to learn more about being a part of the effort to go to Mars."

Mars Rover Concept Vehicle

The Mars Rover Concept Vehicle has been designed by the Parker Brothers Concepts, who are widely known in the US for building movie themed and futuristic vehicle concepts like the Tron Bike from the sci-fi film 'Tron: Legacy' and the Batmobile from the 'The Dark Knight'. The Parker Brothers designed the car with inputs from NASA astronauts and the vehicle was built in just five months.

Driving this Rover is an electric motor which is powered by solar panels and a 700-volt battery. The cockpit has been designed for four people and is equipped with a radio and navigation provided by the Global Positioning System. While this exact rover is not expected to operate on Mars, one or more of its elements could make its way into a rover which astronauts will drive on the red planet.