Inflatable docking station/garage for Mars rover
US7434355B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 10, 2003 |
| Grant date | Oct 14, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 14, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB64G1/2227
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An inflatable docking station for a Mars roving vehicle (Mars rover) provides a recharging station as well as a storage facility for the Mars rover during adverse environmental conditions. The docking station/garage allows for extended operational life for the Mars Rover, allows for the Mars rover to operate at the polar regions of Mars, where extreme cold conditions restrict rover operation, and provides for a warmer habitat for the Mars rover. Conventional planetary roving vehicles only be deployed from the warmer equator region of the planet surface. However, these roving vehicles may never explore the polar regions because the roving vehicle may not have enough stored power. The docking station/garage provides a remote outpost for, among other things, storing and recharging the Mars Rover to allow it to reach more remote areas.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.