ROCHESTER, N.Y., June 6, 2017 — To determine whether Mars could ever have supported life and prepare for human exploration, NASA deployed its Curiosity robotic rover into space nearly five years ago. Since then, the car-sized rover has been exploring the planet, gathering and analyzing samples of organic matter obtained from it. This is made possible by two complex systems—the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) organic chemistry instrument, and the CheMin X-ray system, which both rely on precision resistors to function.
In preparation for the Curiosity mission, NASA needed extremely reliable and durable high voltage resistors to bring SAM and CheMin to life. NASA turned to Ohmcraft, a global leader in thick-film, high voltage, high precision resistor design and manufacturing, to develop five custom resistors specifically for this application.
“We worked closely with NASA throughout the entire process and put these leaded and surface mount resistors through rigorous testing to ensure they would meet NASA’s space/flight EEE-INST-002 requirements,” said Eric Van Wormer, Vice President of the Ohmcraft division of Micropen Technologies. “Once the rover was launched, NASA needed it to perform as expected—the high-voltage resistors were essential, and NASA was confident that Ohmcraft could deliver. Our resistors have been functioning in an extremely harsh environment for nearly five years now, and the mission continues.”
About Ohmcraft
Ohmcraft’s thick-film resistors are engineered to meet application specific needs. Our proprietary Micropen printing technology is the foundation for Ohmcraft’s family of resistor products. Ohmcraft precision resistors are manufactured with our patented Micropen® technology to create a unique serpentine design that withstands voltages up to 100kV and provides an unmatched level of performance and stability. For more information, visit Ohmcraft.com.