As the world of robotics celebrates the Mars rover Curiosity's stunningly successful landing on the red planet, two exhibitors that helped make the mission possible congratulated NASA on its historic achievement.
Crane Aerospace & Electronics (booth 1236) has nine converters on Curiosity to drive the robot's power supply. They convert power from radioactive decay into clean and controlled electricity for powering the rover.
"When we see the pictures come back, we're very happy we powered it successfully and brought those pictures to life," says Matt Twinchell, Crane's project manager for Curiosity.
Crane's converters also helped power the rocket platform that successfully landed Curiosity.
Software firm Wind River (booth 2824) also plays an indispensable role on Curiosity. The firm's VxWorks software platform has been the foundation of Curiosity's advanced computer mind since the spacecraft departed Earth in late 2011.
"We congratulate the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the successful landing," says the company.
Source: Flight Daily News
