Data in Outer Space: How to Store Data on Mars

Storing data in outer space is no walk in the park! There are many differences between using computers on Earth and operating them on another planet, or just space in general. Luckily, a few six-wheeled friends have been helping us understand how it all works. So buckle up and join us as we find out how to store data on Mars, by taking a journey into the life of the rovers currently on the Martian surface.

Mars rover types

Let’s start with a bit of history. So far, there have been four successful NASA Mars rover missions. As you can see in this photo, the smallest rover at the front is Sojourner (1997), the mid-sized rover on the left is the Spirit/Opportunity design (2004), and the largest rover on the right is Curiosity (2011).

Opportunity made headlines recently when NASA finally lost contact with the rover after 15 years - RIP! Its sister rover, Spirit, was stranded in the sand in March 2010.

Curiosity is the last surviving rover on Mars and is about the size of a small car. It arrived in August 2012 and as of 2019 is still operational!