FIDO talk

Communication

Written by: Jennifer Tuey

Communication between the rover on Mars and Earth is of equal importance to communication in daily life. Without it, data cannot be transferred to and from the rover. There are two types of links available, Direct-to-Earth, and UHF. Both are crucial in collecting information for planning.

Direct-to-Earth connection has a low-bandwidth and is used for immediate planning. The rover is only able to receive and send a maximum of fifteen Mega bits directly from and to Earth. Hazcam, pancam, and navcam pictures would be most likely sent through this link. Those pictures are critical for planning for the next sol, Martian day, since it will help the scientists and engineers find places of interest and guide the rover to the place safely.

UHF link has a high-bandwidth and is used for future planning. When information is sent through this link, it goes to the satellite, Odyssey, before it reaches the rover. Odyssey connects the rover to Earth, therefore, it would take a longer time for the data to arrive to Earth. Surveyor, another satellite, will substitute the Odyssey if problems occurred, but that would be unlikely. Fifty-five Mega bits are able to be sent through this connection. Information, such as the analysis spectrum, is sent through this link. The rover is able to communicate longer and with more information using this than with Direct-to-Earth.

Meticulous work is required to accomplish a mission so data must be transported smoothly. Direct-to-Earth and the UHF link are the tools that will help us find the answers we are searching for.