A rover photo voltaic charging system is a system that makes use of photo voltaic panels to cost the batteries of a rover. This technique is vital as a result of it permits the rover to function for prolonged intervals of time with out having to be recharged from an exterior supply. Photo voltaic charging methods are additionally useful as a result of they’re environmentally pleasant and don’t produce any emissions.
The primary rover photo voltaic charging system was developed within the Seventies for the Viking lander mission to Mars. This technique used photo voltaic panels to cost the batteries of the lander, which allowed it to function for over two years on the Martian floor. Since then, rover photo voltaic charging methods have been used on a wide range of missions to Mars, together with the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Alternative, and the Curiosity rover.