Rovers

Figure 1 (Wall-E) BEEP BEEP!

BEEP BEEP! This is Wall-E. Wall-E is a robot used for finding things out about space. Wall-E is also called a rover. Have you ever asked yourself or wondered about how we know so much about these crazy planets in our galaxy? Our little robotic friend Wall-E helps us dig up all this dirt on these other planets. He might seem like a simple everyday robot but, in all honesty, he is kind of a complicated piece of technology. How does Wall-E help us gather all of this unknown data, or information?








How Does Wall-E Work?
Wall-E or a rover moves around on four wheels. He is about the size of a golf cart. He uses his wheels to move around on a planet's surface. Wall-E also has different types of instruments, or tools that he has to help him gather information about a planet. Once he has this information, he is able to send this information back to planet Earth. Now Wall-E was not just made to do whatever he wants. He is assigned a certain task from his owners down on Earth. His owners can do this because Wall-E has a computer program that is installed into his brain that tells him what to do. This computer program is how Wall-E can talk to his owners and communicate what he finds on other planets.

Figure 2 (Godwin) Opportunity

Where is Wall-E Going?
Now Wall-E has actually not been anywhere himself in real life. However, Wall-E's brothers Opportunity and Spirit have been to planets. Opportunity has been to Mars and is helping humans right now solve a mystery about what Mars is like. Opportunity is a six wheel rover that was sent to Mars in 2003. He has been watching and gathering information about the soils and rocks on Mars. He has found a place that is called Chocolate Hills on Mars. Right now he is trying to figure out what type of rock is on Chocolate Hills and why it looks like there is a chocolate coating on these rocks. Spirit is also on Mars doing the same chores as her brother. She is also trying to figure out more about the planet and its rocks or soil. By finding out all this information, Opportunity and Spirit are helping humans every single day.

The Future
Wall-E and his brothers or sisters still have more planned for the future. One of his brothers have just been born and is named Curiosity. He is a much bigger rover and is going to be launched by our space program soon or in the future. Curiosity was made to search for life on Mars. His brothers in the past have just been looking for types of rocks or soil. Curiosity will actually be looking for aliens or other types of life on Mars. Right now, humans are only sending these rovers to Mars and have not had any plans to go to another planet soon.

Figure 3 (Leon) Rovers: The Future?

Into The Stars!

Wall-E and his brothers or sisters Opportunity, Spirit, and Curiosity are helping humans every single day. They help find information so that one day humans will be able to go farther into space and maybe even live on another planet. These rovers are buddies that are helping kickstart humans into space. Without them, humans would not know as much about space as they do now. The stars shine bright down on Earth!










References:

Godwin, C. (2017). Our spaceflight heritage: opportunity marks 13 years on mars [photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/space-flight-history/spaceflight-heritage-opportunity-rover-marks-13-years-mars/

Kops, D. (2012). Exploring space robots. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications. Retrieved from http://www.ebscohost.com/

Leon, N. (2016). The mars rover: curiosity [graphic]. Retrieved from https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/mars-curiosity/en/

Wall-E [graphic]. Retrieved from http://pixar.wikia.com/wiki/WALL%E2%80%A2E