NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

Assembly Instructions for

NASA / INVENTORcloud Mars Rover Kit
“Gaining Traction on Mars”

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

A. What’s In the Box?

The rover kit is contained in a small cardboard box shown below:

Rover Kit Box - Closed

Rover kit components are packaged in the box as shown:

Rover Kit Box - Open

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

Components found in the rover kit box are as follows:

 Wheels (x4)

Rover Wheels

 Gearbox Package

Gearbox Package

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

o Pre-wired Gearbox with Pinion Gears (Inside Gearbox Package)

Gearbox

Pinion Gears

o Battery Pack for AAA Batteries with On/Off Switch (Inside Gearbox Package)

AAA Battery Pack

On/Off Switch

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

o Gearbox Components and Instructions (Inside Gearbox Package) – NOT NEEDED FOR ROVER
KIT ASSEMBLY

 Rover Top (Clear) and Bottom (Black) with Bearings and Axles

Rover Top

Rover Bottom Bearing Axle

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

 Components Bag

Components Bag

o 18-Tooth Gears (x2) and 24-Tooth Gears (x2) (Inside Components Bag)

24-Tooth Gears

18-Tooth Gears

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

o H-Bracket and Support Post (Inside Components Bag)

H-Bracket

Support Post

o Wheel Washers (x4) (Inside Components Bag)

Wheel Washers
‘

o Rubber Bands – 3.5” x 3/4” (x4), 7” x 1/8” (x2) (Inside Components Bag)

7” x 1/8” Rubber Bands 3.5” x 3/4” Rubber Bands

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

o Hex Keys – 3 mm, 4 mm (Inside Components Bag)

4 mm Hex Key

3 mm Hex Key

o AAA Batteries (x2) (Inside Components Bag)

AAA Batteries

 Hardware Bag

Hardware Bag

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

o Socket Head Cap Screws – M4 x 50 (x6), M4 x 10 (x2), M3 x 10 (x2) (Inside Hardware Bag)

M4 x 50 Screws

M4 x 10 Screws M3 x 10 Screws

o M4 Wing Nuts (x2), M3 Wing Nuts (x2), M4 Washers (x2) (Inside Hardware Bag)

M3 Wing Nuts

M4 Wing Nuts

M4 Washers

 NASA Decals (x2)

NASA Decals

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

B. Assembly Instructions

Please follow these instructions carefully and read every step completely prior to executing the step. Do
not overtighten screws – screws should be snug but there is no need to tighten as much as possible. All
tools needed to assemble the printer kit have been provided. Use the M3 hex key to tighten M3 screws
and the M4 hex key to tighten M4 screws. The color of certain components may change from photo to
photo and may not match your kit, however this is purely cosmetic and will not impact rove assembly.

1. Place a wheel washer on an M4 x 50 socket head cap screw

Wheel washer on M4 x 50 screw

2. Pair an 18-tooth gear with a wheel by inserting the extruded hexagon on the gear face into the
hexagonal hole on the rear of the wheel

Gear flush against wheel Hexagon seated in wheel

3. Insert the M4 x 50 screw with washer through the hole in the gear from the inside of the wheel

Insert on inside of wheel

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

4. Attach the wheel and 18-tooth gear to the rover bottom.

Place bottom on table with slots on right

Attach wheels with 18-tooth gears on left

Insert M3 hex
key in hole on
axle to prevent
axle from
rotating

Tighten
screw
with M4
hex key.
Do not
over
Attach wheel so that tread points to left tighten.

Ensure hexagon on gear remains seated

in wheel and gear sits flush against wheel

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

5. Repeat Steps 1 to 4 for the remaining 18 tooth gear and same color rover wheel.

Verify wheel tread points in this direction

6. Repeat Steps 1 to 5 for the 24-tooth gears and two remaining wheels.

Wheels with 24-tooth

gears attached

Tread of all wheels

should point in the
same direction

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

7. Attach gearbox to rover bottom using M3 x 10 screws and M3 wingnuts.

Top of gearbox

Mounting holes
Insert screws from top
M3 x 10 screws through mounting holes

Gearbox should face Place gearbox on bottom

this direction with screws in slots

Do not tighten wingnuts completely to

allow gearbox to slide along slots

Place M3 wingnuts on screws

from underneath rover

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

8. Slide gear box so that pinions engage wheel gears and tighten M3 wingnuts to lock gearbox in
place.

Slide gearbox until pinions

engage wheel gears

Tighten wingnuts to lock gearbox in place

9. Attach the support post to the rover bottom at the mounting hole behind the gearbox using an
M4 x 10 screw.

Insert screw
through
bottom of
rover and
into
support
Support post post and
mounting hole tighten

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

10. Insert batteries into battery pack.

Make sure switch Insert batteries

is set to OFF and close lid

11. Attach the H-bracket to the rover bottom at the two mounting holes on the end of the rover
using two M4 x 50 screws.

H-bracket “TOP” text up and facing direction shown

mounting holes

Insert screws from bottom

Do not yet tighten screws completely –

bracket should be able to lift slightly

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

12. Attach battery pack to rover bottom.

Slide battery pack under H-bracket

with switch oriented as shown

Tighten screws to lock

battery holder in place

13. Place rover top on rover assembly.

Orient the rover top as Screws pass through holes

shown. INVENT3D on end of top
sticker (not pictured)
should be facing up.

Pull ends of wires through

large hole on rover top

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

14. Fasten rover top to support post using an M4 x 10 screw.

Insert screw from top into

support post and tighten

15. Connect wires to M4 x 50 screws that protrude from the rover top.

Place M4 washers on
ends of screws

Place ring connectors of both red

wires on one of the screws

Tighten an M4 wingnut
onto the screw to hold
connectors in place

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

Place ring connectors

of both black wires on
the remaining screw

Tighten an M4 wingnut
onto the screw to hold
connectors in place

16. The rover is now complete. NASA decal(s) may be affixed to the rover where desired.

Completed rover kit

17. The rover is currently configured in a rear wheel drive setting, with the end of the rover with the
battery pack serving as the front of the vehicle. Rewiring the vehicle (switching one red wire
and one black wire) as described in the project documentation will change the vehicle to front
wheel drive. When the vehicle is in a front wheel drive setting, the end of the vehicle with the
support post becomes the front, and wheel positions should be switched so that tread points in
the opposite direction (the direction that the vehicle moves).

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 NASA Mars Rover Kit Assembly Instructions

18. To easily remove wheels without removing the top of the rover, insert the M3 hex key through
the hole in the rover top closest to the wheel to be removed and into the hole at the end of the
axle. This will prevent the axle from spinning as the M4 hex key is used to remove the M4 x 50
screw attaching the wheel to the axle.

Insert hex key

through rover top
and into hole in axle
to prevent axle from
rotating

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