From ‘Opportunity’, to ‘Curiosity’, to ‘Perseverance’, Vandi Verma has driven them all.
They’re all rovers that have been sent to Mars in the last 20 years to help NASA learn more about the red planet.
Verma is here in New Zealand to talk to universities and schools all about her job.
“It’s kind of like a video game, we put on our 3D goggles, and so you can virtually feel like you’re on Mars.”
She’s touring the country accompanied by a life-sized replica of Opportunity built by students at the University of Auckland.
“We started with just the very basic schematics”, said engineering student Koen Van Rijnsoever.
“Not really the specifics of the components or anything, I’m assuming that’s still secret.”
Operating the rovers isn’t like driving a car or using a joystick — they’re controlled by sending specific computer commands such as “Drive forward 5 metres; then turn right 90 degrees”.
“We actually use graphical tools where we can put little way points and suggestions,” Verma said.
“The US and New Zealand have had like a huge history of collaboration in the aerospace world”, she told 1News.
“I’m here to sort of highlight it and sort of celebrate it and sort of encourage further collaboration.”
She also believes we’re getting closer to some big interstellar breakthroughs.
“We’ve learned a lot, but we’re also learning that humans could potentially live on Mars and that, you know, it’s starting to be the next stepping stone.”
