It is reported by Actualno.com with reference to Space.com. Before making the flight to Mars, the space agency employees must identify a place on the planet surface to land the Mars rover.
As it became known, landing is planned for 2020, and the scientists have already prepared a list consisting of fifty points. Each point is a place suitable for landing on the Red Planet. At this stage, the space agency has begun to explore these proposals in order to choose the most optimal one.
According to the engineering requirements, landing zone should not be too high-altitude or rocky. The main purpose of the Mars rover is to identify the signs of life that might have been present on Mars in the past. These studies will be held based on the discoveries of its predecessor, the Mars Curiosity rover, which suggests that several billion years ago, the Red Planet could be inhabited by living beings.
New NASA Mars rovers will be assembled on the pattern of the Curiosity rover. They also will be fitted with six wheels, and their weight will be about a ton. In order to carry out its mission, the rovers will gather all the necessary samples, which would be sent to Earth for further study.
Earlier the space agency reported that work on the new prototype of the spacesuit, required for the normal functioning on Mars was almost completed. When designing a new spacesuit, the scientists used a glowing rim, which allows identifying the owner of the spacesuit. LED strips were also used.