Continental Electronics Corporation Leading Radio Transmission for Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission

Today Continental Electronics Corporation (CEC) announced the company has delivered two new high power transmission systems to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). One transmission system is currently located at the Deep Space Network (DSN) facility near Canberra, Australia. The second will be commissioned later this year at the DSN facility near Madrid, Spain. CEC transmission technology is used by JPL to increase the capacity of the DSN for future missions, such as the upcoming Mars Perseverance Rover mission that is currently scheduled for launch on July 30, 2020.

The mission will involve sending a 2,300-pound robotic scientist to Mars to collect rock and soil samples and return to Earth, which will be studied to identify potential signs of life. This mission is a part of NASA’s larger Mars Exploration Program to explore the Red Planet’s ancient past.

CEC’s transmission equipment sends data messages from Earth to the spacecraft. This communication is critical, as it is used for sending instructions for course correction, uploading new software, pre-programmed sequences of maneuvers and more.

"Continental Electronics is honored to be a part of Perseverance and other past deep space missions such as New Horizons and the Voyager missions,” says Dan Dickey, President of Continental Electronics Corporation. “The upcoming Mars Perseverance Rover mission will mark a significant milestone in robotic exploration of the Red Planet, and help us gain more knowledge about the history of our planetary neighbor.”

CEC’s transmitters provide extremely low noise signals that are needed to support navigation during interplanetary missions. These signals help determine the speed and trajectory of cruising spacecraft, which allows the team back on Earth to make course corrections if necessary.

“JPL is relying on our expertise in radio communication and navigation to make this mission a success,” says Mike Rosso, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Continental Electronics Corporation. “Continental Electronics takes great pride in designing and manufacturing some of the leading radio transmitters in the world. Whether it’s a nuclear submarine or deep space, many companies rely on CEC to maintain secure and reliable communications in the harshest environments known to mankind.”

Perseverance will launch from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket. Currently, the launch is scheduled for July 30, 2020. Live coverage of the launch will air on NASA TV and the agency’s website here.

For more information about Continental Electronics, please visit https://www.contelec.com.

About Continental Electronics Corporation
Since 1946, Dallas-based Continental Electronics Corporation (CEC) has been the leading visionary and manufacturer for many of the world’s most innovative high power radio frequency (RF) solutions. CEC helped broaden the application of RF technology through science, industrial, government, defense and broadcast initiatives on six continents. Our company’s state-of-the-art radio transmitters send signals deep beneath the ocean’s surface to beyond the solar system. CEC takes great pride in the standard of excellence, level of trust and legacy we provide to each of our clients. For more information, please visit https://www.contelec.com or call 1.800.733.5011.