#SoCaltech: Mitch Watson

“The flexible cables that run from the ‘head’ of the Perseverance rover to its ‘body’ were manufactured incorrectly and had too much friction between them. This resulted in kinks within the cables after running for an extended period of time. To find a solution, we needed to test ideas inside a thermal-vacuum chamber (to replicate Mars’ atmospheric pressure and temperature). I worked on the design and manufacturing of this testbed up to the final delivery and testing. We ended up adding some powdered lubricant in between the cables to reduce the friction. Simple but effective! Being a part of something as globally important as Mars 2020 is definitely one of my proudest achievements. Working on a project whose only goal is to better humanity’s understanding of the universe fills me with a sense of accomplishment. I also was able to work with Adam Steltzner (MS ’91), the chief engineer of the rover, which I thought was extraordinary. To be honest, I’m not at all nervous about the landing because I know the extreme care and thought that went into every little detail on the rover. I am very excited to finally see everyone at JPL’s hard work pay off!”

Mitch Watson is a Caltech senior majoring in mechanical engineering. He worked on the Perseverance rover during an internship at JPL.

#SoCaltech is an occasional series celebrating the diverse individuals who give Caltech its spirit of excellence, ambition, and ingenuity. Know someone we should profile? Send nominations to magazine@caltech.edu.