Power Sources for Rovers

Planetary rovers are small unmanned vehicles equipped with cameras and a variety of sensors used for scientific experiments. They must operate under tight constraints over such resources as operation time, power, storage capacity, and communication bandwidth. Moreover, the limited computational resources of the rover limit the complexity of on-line planning and scheduling. The rover requires power to operate. Without power, it cannot move, use its science instruments, or communicate with Earth. The power source aboard the robotic space probe will have to be strong and versatile enough to meet the requirements of the mission. The main source of power for each rover comes from a multi-panel solar array. Their purpose is to provide energy. This paper deals with the use of alternate resources for power supply of rovers other than solar arrays.