Podcast: The Power of the Rovers

How do NASA rovers power themselves on Mars?

The two main options are solar and nuclear energy. NASA’s first three Mars rovers – Sojourner, Spirit, and Opportunity – used solar panels to gather light energy, or photons, from the Sun. The rovers exploring Mars today – Curiosity and Perseverance – use a system called a “Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator,” or RTG.

Listen to the full podcast here: (episode length: 42 minutes) On a Mission podcast: The Power of the Rovers