The Reali-Slim duplex, thin section bearings from Kaydon are once again part of a Mars mission as five pairs of the bearings feature in two important sections of the latest mission to Mars, the Curiosity rover.
The five pairs of bearings positioned to support sample collection and steering actuators on the rover’s four corners help in reducing weight and conserve space.
The small SUV sized, one-ton rover was designed and developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) division of California Institute of Technology. The rover will analyze if the environment in the vicinity of its landing site was conducive for life by studying soil samples obtained from the ground or drilled from rocks. The rover will cover a distance of 660 ft per day at a speed of 1 inch per second. It will collect and transmit images, data and scientific observations over a period of 23 months starting from September.
Four pairs of bearings with a 7-inch O.D and 6-inch bore serve to relieve the load off the rover while landing by supporting the steering actuators located on the four corners of the rover. The bearings feature races and balls made of 440C stainless steel and possess angular contact. One set of bearings is in the Collection and Handling for In-Situ Rock Analysis (CHIMRA) device mounted on a turret located at the end of the robotic arm. The 3-inch O.D angular contact bearings are an essential feature of the thwack system that facilitates the passage of the samples to the analytical tools by preventing the clogging of the primary sieve. The bearings were shipped dry per request from JPL in order to add a space-rated lubricant.
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