Bridget the Mars Rover Comes to Pall Mall

17/10/2011

You may have noticed an odd looking vehicle in the Rotunda at Pall Mall last week. Well, meet Bridget, a full-scale working prototype of a Mars Rover, built for developing and testing the technology to be used on rovers that are to be sent to Mars and the moon. Bridget’s descendants, ExoMars and Mars Sample, are due to be launched in 2018 and 2022 respectively.

Made of aluminum for lightness and strength, Bridget is covered with a form of plastic film called mylar, which is coated with a gold like finish to protect her from heat during field trials. Bridget has an estimated range of flat ground of around 5km and a maximum speed of 175 metres per hour. She weighs around 120 to 175kg depending on what she’s carrying.

Bridget was on display in the Rotunda between Monday 10 October and Sunday16 October.