Special Care Taken to Haul Out-of-This-World Cargo Along East Coast
Motorists on Interstate 95 might be doing a double-take this summer as they share the road with a tractor-trailer hauling a highly unusual piece of cargo — a 5,500-pound Mars rover replica.
The Mars rover concept vehicle is part of the Kennedy Space Center’s Summer of Mars tour, a campaign aimed at inspiring and informing the public about the next generation of space exploration.
Shomotion, a specialized transportation company for touring artists, motion picture productions and special events, is using a Peterbilt Model 386 with a Witzco Challenger removable gooseneck trailer to haul the rover from city to city.
While the rover was created to be as realistic as possible for education purposes, it won’t actually make the trip to Mars.
It will, however, visit much of the eastern United States.
Shomotion is transporting the Mars rover along the East Coast, stopping to give audiences a taste of what it will take for space explorers to step foot eventually on Mars.
It has already visited Sun Trust Park in Atlanta and the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Mars rover replica at National Air & Space Museum (Olivia George/Special to Transport Topics)
Following its exhibit in the nation’s capital, it will head to:
- Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, N.J., July 29-30
- Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, Aug. 3-6
- North Point Mall in Alpharetta, Ga., Aug. 12.
“The Mars rover concept vehicle is amazing, and to be a member of the team that is helping to bring a piece of the Mars experience to space fans is very exciting for our company,” said Michael Scherkenbach, president and founder of Shomotion. “We are proud to be collaborating with both Marketing Werks and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on this opportunity.”
Built by Cape Canaveral-based Parker Brothers Concepts, the vehicle, nearly 11 feet tall, is designed to handle the harsh conditions and terrain of the red planet.
Specifications from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration helped the designers create a realistic vehicle that features carbon fiber accents, solar panels and 50-inch wheels specifically made to allow the fine sands of Mars to slip through.
The unique shape and large size of the rover presents certain transportation challenges, though.
The 13-foot, 8-inch width of the vehicle requires specialized permits and vehicle escorts, and these requirements vary by state.
Courtesy of Kennedy Space Center
According to Shomotion, it generally takes one week to secure the proper permits and routes. After the permits are issued, the truck must follow a predetermined route within stringent operating hours.
The state of Virginia, for example, requires an escort vehicle and does not allow for any travel on Sundays.
This trip required extensive planning for each tour stop to make sure the state requirements have been met and that this information has been properly communicated to the driver and escort cars.
Shomotion said the driver had to have “acute attention to detail” due to the “many moving components” of the tour.
Courtesy of Kennedy Space Center
Another complication associated with hauling the rover is the high-profile nature of the cargo. Passing vehicles may try to take photographs of the rover while it is being transported.
The driver also had to maneuver the trailer through high-traffic areas that pose a challenge for an 80-foot vehicle.
