Bearings On Mission To Mars

These components have a proven track record for saving space and weight without compromising performance. In the UK and wider Europe, Kaydon’s sole UK representative R. A. Rodriguez, regularly supplies Reali-Slim bearings to the aerospace and defence sectors for a variety of mission critical applications.

The five pairs of duplexed bearings specified for Curiosity operate in two important areas: a mechanism for preparing rock material samples for analysis and supporting the steering actuators for the rover’s wheels.

One pair of Reali-Slim bearings is in the Collection and Handling for In-Situ Rock Analysis (CHIMRA) system, one of a number of devices mounted on a turret at the end of the robotic arm.