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Local Biking Company Contributes To Rover On Mars

398 views · Published 8 August 2012 · 3:18 · Indexed 6 November 2026

Channel: WTVC NewsChannel 9 · 2012 · News & Politics

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by Karen Zatkulak  A major breakthrough in space on Monday, and a local crew helped make it a success.  The Rover Curiosity landed on Mars at 1:32 Monday morning.It travelled for eight months, crossing 352 million miles.  Then, it transformed six times as it entered the martian atmosphere.  The robotic rover is about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle.  It will spend the next two years wandering across the planet and sending back images.  It will be exploring the geological history of Mars and looking for any signs of life.The rover cost 2.5 billion dollars to build, and took several years.  It also took several companies to make all the parts and pieces of the extensive design.  One of those companies is in Ooltewah.  Th American Bicycle Group consructed the eight legs that helped make the rover's landing so flawless. Te American Bicycle Group makes two kinds of bikes.  One is called Litespeed and the entire frame is made of titanium.  It's that process that caught the eye of scientists working with NASA.Early Monday morning, NASA scientists cheered as the rover landed safely on the red planet.  At the same time in Ooltewah, a man who had a hand in that success celebrated as well.  Head of Project Development Brad DeVaney says, "It's wonderful, it's just wonderful, words can't describe.  It's breathtaking to think about anything that leaves our planet and goes to space."The Rover uses eight titanium legs, connecting the onboard laboratory to the wheels.  Vaney designed the 2 to 3 foot pieces, using a special technique and the strong but flexible material.  The machines in the Ooltewah factory are usually used to turn titanium into bike frames, but for the rover project they had to make heavier pieces in a different shape.The American Bicycle Group is known for its light weight high tech frames.  When the Jet Propulsion Laboratory was designing the rover in California, they thought of the Tennessee company, and it's success with titanium in the biking world.  Chief Executive Office and Owner Peter Hurley says, "It was really exciting for all of us, we are all kids at heart here because we are in the bicycle business, so going up into space is just one more thing to be excited about."And after years of delays, to see the spacecraft land Monday morning, with a scenic city signature, made the small biking company proud.  DeVaney says, "It really did open osur eyes and broaden our view as to what we do on a daily basis, and see a new application for what we do."The crew at American Bicycle Group actually all got to sign the inside of one of the titanium legs.  As for DeVaney, he was awake and 1:32 a.m., watching as the rover successfully landed.

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