Case Study: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory achieves a perfect Mars landing with MSC Software Adams

Adams Simulations Help Curiosity Rover Make Perfect Touchdown on Mars

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) needed to validate Curiosity rover’s complex Mars landing sequence and determine loads on subassemblies and components for the “seven minutes of terror,” where there was no chance for real-time human intervention. Because the rover’s entry, descent, and sky crane landing could not be fully tested on Earth, JPL turned to MSC Software and its Adams multibody dynamics software to simulate the mission’s critical events.

MSC Software used Adams to model the rover and descent stage in high fidelity, integrate the C++ control software, and analyze separation, wheel deployment, touchdown, and clearance issues. The simulations revealed unexpected loads, swinging, and deployment-induced hammering, leading to design and timing changes that made the rover more robust and helped ensure no contact between flight hardware. The accurate modeling contributed to Curiosity’s successful landing on Mars, with simulations running in 17 to 93 minutes on a four-CPU workstation.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Chia-Yen Peng

Principal & Lead Engineer for the Loads and Dynamic Simulation team