The NM connection
The Perseverance mission is loaded with and connected to New Mexicomade technology, not just from Los Alamos National Laboratory. The tech includes:
Radiation- and temperature-hardened electronics developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base in partnership with local businesses.
A thermal design software system developed by AFRL in partnership with Albuquerque’s LoadPath LLC to test weather-resistant components for the Mars helicopter, dubbed “Ingenuity.” The “Veritrek” software allows engineers to rapidly evaluate thermal sensitivities, identify risk, and modify things to enable operations under intense heat and cold.
Two types of advanced solar cells made by Albuquerque-based SolAero Technologies Corp. have powered the spacecraft carrying Perseverance to Mars, and will power the tiny helicopter that will fly on the Red Planet.