Mars rover concept vehicle tours this planet – USA TODAY

Susan B. Barnes, Special for USA TODAY Published 7:45 a.m. ET July 21, 2017

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The Mars Rover concept vehicle was commissioned by Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex as an educational tool and to inspire the public about the future of space exploration and interplanetary travel.(Photo: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex)

Imagine traveling over the landscape of the Red Planet in a Mars Rover, the fine sands slipping through its 50-inch wheels as it traverses over dunes, rocks, craters and hills at a slow-but-steady 2 to 4 MPH.

In an effort to bring Mars closer to home, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex teamed up with Parker Brothers Concepts, along with NASA-engineer science and specs, to develop the four-passenger Mars Rover concept vehicle, currently on tour along the Eastern Seaboard.

The nearly 11-foot-tall, 5,500-pound, all-aluminum Mars rover concept vehicle is as realistic as possible to show space enthusiasts the technology thats being developed to send to Mars, including carbon fiber, solar panels and a 700-volt battery that is used to power the Rover. This is a look but dont touch opportunity after all, this Mars Rover was created to be as realistic as possible, but for educational purposes only; it wont be making the trip to Mars when the time comes.

At Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, we create immersive space experiences for our guests, said Therrin Protze, chief operating officer, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The Mars rover will give guests a front row seat to NASAs Journey to Mars and bring the future of space exploration to life for the generation that will first step foot on Mars, as they see and learn what it will take to travel the landscape of the Red Planet.

The Mars rover concept vehicles first stop on the tour was at The Battery Atlanta at Sun Trust Park in Atlanta, Georgia, and it will spend the next month traveling, starting withthe National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C. (July 21-22), Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey (July 29-30), Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, New York (August 3-6) and finishing at the North Point Mall in Alpharetta, Georgia (August 12) before returning to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Back at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the Summer of Mars continues with games that enable visitors to learn about plant life and habitats on Mars; a virtual reality trip to the Red Planet via Lockheed Martins Mars Experience Bus, using real NASA footage of Mars to explore 200 miles of the service; and more.

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Mars rover concept vehicle tours this planet - USA TODAY