Siemens Energy Transition Dialog, June 3–11, 2013, Berlin
Fact Sheet — the Mars Rover Curiosity:
Development Software in Practice
Introduction:
•
Last year, the Mars rover Curiosity flew through space at speeds of up to
112,000 km/h in a protective capsule on its way to the Red Planet. The capsule entered Mars’ atmosphere traveling at nearly 21,000 km/h and was then
slowed down by retro rockets and a parachute to a very low speed. After that,
the landing module hovered above the surface and gently lowered the rover
to the ground. The complete maneuver was carried out fully automatically
because it would have taken 14 minutes for command signals from Earth to
reach Mars.
•
NASA scientists used software from Siemens to help create the Mars rover
Curiosity. The specialists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab employed PLM
software from Siemens throughout the 900-kilogramn vehicle’s entire development process — from the initial concept to the simulation of the harsh
conditions of outer space. The software enabled them to digitally design the
rover, simulate complex sequences of movements, and assemble the vehicle
virtually before a prototype was even built. For example, the forces to which
the capsule and the rover would be exposed during the landing were simulated 8,000 times. When the capsule reached Mars in August 2012, the speed
dropped from 21,000 km/h to less than 2 km/h in just seven minutes — the
deceleration forces were correspondingly huge.
The Mars rover within the context of Industry 4.0:
•
Industrial software from Siemens enables companies to manage their complete product development and manufacturing processes efficiently, economically, and intelligently. The processes involved range all the way from design and product planning to engineering, production, and service operations.
As a result, industrial firms can deal more effectively with the increasing
complexity of production processes. Siemens software is now utilized in
many sectors, including the mechanical engineering, aerospace, and automotive industries. When combined with Siemens automation technology, the
software systems can reduce time-to-market by up to 50 percent and also
help to conserve resources and energy.
Further information available at:
http://www.siemens.com/innovation/apps/pof_microsite/_pof-fall2012/_html_en/virtual-worlds.html