Case Study: Alliance Spacesystems, Inc achieves precise, lightweight Mars rover robotic arms on a compressed schedule with SolidWorks

Delivering the Mars Rover’s Precise Robotic Arms With Solidworks Software

Alliance Spacesystems, Inc. (ASI), a designer and manufacturer of spacecraft mechanisms including the robotic arms for NASA’s Spirit and Opportunity rovers, faced an aggressive 18‑month schedule and severe Mars environment constraints with a small eight‑person team. To meet precision, weight and reliability targets while enabling close collaboration with scientists and mission planners, ASI chose SolidWorks software (including SolidWorks Simulation, eDrawings, and the SolidWorks API) as its integrated 3D CAD and design‑communication platform.

Using SolidWorks, ASI implemented a paperless, concurrent design workflow with integrated simulation and automated documentation tools, even developing a PDF workflow via the SolidWorks API (later commercialized as Bluebeam). SolidWorks enabled faster iterations and cross‑discipline collaboration, helping ASI meet the compressed schedule, reduce the robotic arm mass by 20%, keep rework under 1%, and shorten review cycles from weeks to hours while improving overall design quality and robustness.

Alliance Spacesystems, Inc

Brett Lindenfeld

Director of Engineering