NASA's Curiosity Rover, GGB Bearings Mark Their First Martian-Year Anniversary

On June 24, NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover, which is fitted with metal-polymer bearings from GGB Bearing Technology, completed the first 687-day Martian year of its mission. It landed on the red planet on August 5, 2012.

On June 24, NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover, which is fitted with metalpolymer bearings from GGB Bearing Technology, completed the first 687-day Martian year of its mission. It landed on the red planet on August 5, 2012.

Objective of the mission was to determine whether Mars was ever conducive to microbial life. This was confirmed shortly after the rover landed with the discovery of mudstone slabs that it sampled with its drill.

Curiosity has a robotic arm with a turret containing a drill that acquires samples by rotating and hammering with its weighted bit, which consists of a spindle, chuck, percussion mechanism and translation mechanism. Three GGB DU® bearing segments, specified on the basis of their high wear resistance and broad temperature range, serve as the primary suspension components for the drill spindle.

According to NASA, Curiosity this past spring drilled and collected sandstone samples that revealed the presence of minerals never before detected on Mars. Also exhibited were signs of complex geological processing and interaction with water. For more information contact ...

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For more information contact [email protected].

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About GGB Bearing Technology
With production plants in the U.S., Germany, France, Brazil, Slovakia and China, GGB is the world's leading manufacturer of high-performance self-lubricating and pre-lubricated plain bearings. The company supplies more than 30,000 customers worldwide in countless applications and industries, including automotive, fluid power, agricultural and construction machinery, sports and recreation equipment, renewable energy, primary metals and general industry. Its plain bearing portfolio includes metal-polymer, solid polymer, filament wound and metals and bimetals, as well as bushing blocks, thrust plates and specialized housings and assemblies. In addition, GGB offers industry-leading R&D and testing facilities, flexible production, technical support and a global distributor network. Additional information about GGB is available at www.ggbearings.com.

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Published by GGB Bearing Technology on Mar 04, 2015