Question: what kind of engineering do you do?

Alex Taylor-Gates answered on 28 Jan 2020:

Hi NathanM.J!
I am a Mechanical Engineer, it is my job to deal with all things physical when it comes to building and testing the Rover.
I take the designs and components of the rover and define how best to assemble them in reality, I produce the instructions of how to undertake an assembly activity and then lead the team to do the activity.

A good example perhaps is the installation of one of the Rover’s wheels.
The Rover’s wheels are installed to each of the Rover’s BEMA Hub’s using 8 small bolts.
This sounds simple, and it is, however to plan the activity is quite complex!

The wheels are VERY clean, actually one of the cleanest parts of the Rover as it is what is in contact with the Martian surface and most likely to contaminate the terrain with Earth derived foreign material. So we have to handle the wheels very carefully and clean them regularly and thoroughly using strict and specific procedures.
When planning the activity, on top of the how you handle the wheels, I have to define what parts need to be removed first to allow us the access to fit the wheels, how the must wheels be lifted into position and interface wit the hub without trapping wires, without clashing with the rover body, to be orientated correctly, to ensure the hubs align correctly to allow the bolts to be fitted first time.
I have to consider who is doing the work, where the work will be undertaken, what tools need to be used, how to prepare all these things before we start, and actually, where in this giant room of Exomars Rover components are the wheels and their bolts?
I also have to plan in case there is a problem with the installation, like perhaps we drop a bolt or the bolt thread gets cross threaded in the hub during installation. The correct tools and spare parts need to be available and on hand immediately so that we can ensure we complete the task in the allotted time as the schedule is VERY tight!
All this planning has to be written in our digital documentation system as no paper is allowed in the Bio-Clean room, it is then reviewed and agreed with the Project Managers, Senior Engineering Team, Quality Control team, Planetary Protection Team.

Just think what it’s like to do something complex, like set up and install the on-board Laboratory!!

This is what it means to be an engineer in the Space Industry, even for the smallest of activities, we must be very well prepared and accurate with our work, because one mistake could mean the mission is over, there’s no flying the AA up to Mars to fix a wheel that fell off!