WE ARE ON A MISSION - TO MARS
SPACE… THE FINAL FRONTIER… THESE ARE THE…. OK, OK, I’M JUST KIDDING. BUT ALL JOKING ASIDE, A FEW MONTHS AGO, THE FOLKS AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER VISITOR COMPLEX IN COOPERATION WITH NASA CAME TO THE PARKER BROTHERS WITH AN INTERESTING IDEA.
WHAT IF PARKER BROTHERS CONCEPTS DESIGNED AND BUILT THE FIRST MANNED MARS ROVER CONCEPT VEHICLE?
WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE?
COULD PBC MAKE A FULLY FUNCTIONAL, REALISTIC ROVER THAT LOOKED LIKE A FUTURISTIC SPACE MACHINE AND COULD ACTUALLY FUNCTION ON THE RED PLANET? THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A VEHICLE THAT COULD NOT
AND THE ANSWER TO THEIR QUESTION, IS NOW RIGHT HERE IN LIVING COLOR. THE NEW 2030 MARS ROVER CONCEPT WILL FUNCTION AS WELL AS INSPIRE. SCROLL DOWN FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EXCITING PROJECT.
THE 2030 MARS ROVER
WHILE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
A LOT OF HARD WORK, LONG HOURS AND DEDICATION WENT INTO THIS VEHICLE FROM EVERYONE AT PBC (MARC AND SHANON COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT ALL ALONE) AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SEND A SINCERE AND HUMBLED “THANK YOU” TO ALL THE EMPLOYEES/CONTRACTORS THAT MADE A SUPREME SACRIFICE IN ORDER FOR THIS VEHICLE TO HAPPEN – IAN ATWELL, NATHAN “TURBO” GUTHRIE, RON SARNES, JUSTINE BRINER, LONNIE TURNER, RICK, ALPHONSO “RAY” BROOKS, CARLOS, VANCE ELLIS, DAMION JOHNSON, JOHN CONNER, DONNIE BARNES, AND A FEW OTHERS THAT PROBABLY SLIPPED MY MIND (THIS HAS BEEN A LONG PROJECT) – THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE INSANE HOURS AND LATE NIGHTS. WE CAN ALL LAUGH ABOUT IT NOW. THANK YOU TO ALL THE VENDORS THAT BELIEVED IN THIS PROJECT AND HELPED US MAKE IT A REALITY AS WELL – FLOW WATERJET, 3M, STANDARD AUTOBODY, RING POWER (THANKS FOR THE LIFT – IT REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE – YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME), FILTHY MOTORSPORTS (THIS VEHICLE WOULD NOT HAVE A REAL SUSPENSION WITHOUT YOU), SOLIDWORKS, WACOM, (NO TRUE DESIGNER WANTS TO WORK WITHOUT A WACOM TABLET), SEA DEK – (YOU GUYS MADE THAT INTERIOR AND THOSE WHEELS LOOK AMAZING), 9MILE MEDIA, WINNER GLASS, ALRO METAL SUPPLY, AND GOMMES UPHOLSTERY. WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT YOU ALL. AND
"STYLE HAS TO BE A PRIORITY FOR PBC"
WHEN THE PARKER BROTHERS WERE APPROACHED TO DESIGN AND BUILD A BRAND NEW MANNED MARS ROVER- THEY HAD SOME HESITATION.
“JUST LOOKING AT MOST VEHICLES CONNECTED WITH SPACE EXPLORATION, I REALIZED THAT STYLE WAS NOT EXACTLY THE TOP PRIORITY. STYLE HAS TO BE A PRIORITY AT PBC” SAYS SHANON PARKER – CHIEF DESIGNER AT PBC. FUNCTION WAS OBVIOUSLY THE MAIN CONCERN WITH PREVIOUS VEHICLES, BUT THE BROTHERS BELIEVED THAT A NEW FOCUS ON STYLE AND FUNCTION WOULD RESULT IN A NEW VISION FOR SPACE TRAVEL. WITH PERMISSION FROM THEM TO DESIGN A ROVER WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS ON FORM AS WELL AS FUNCTION, THE PBC CREW GOT STARTED.
AND THE REST, AS THEY SAY, IS HISTORY.
"THE RE-INVENTION OF THE WHEEL"
– MARC PARKER
THE WHEELS FOR THE NEW MARS ROVER WERE A SERIOUS UNDERTAKING, TO SAY THE LEAST. DESIGNING A WHEEL THAT WOULD FUNCTION ON THE ROUGH AND ALSO SANDY TERRAIN OF MARS WAS NO SMALL TASK. THE FACT THAT AIR FILLED TIRES WOULD NEVER WORK ON THE MARS SURFACE WAS ANOTHER BIG PROBLEM AS WELL. WITH A 50″ DIAMETER AND A WIDTH OF OVER 36″, THESE 6 WHEELS REPRESENT THE TRUE ATTITUDE OF THIS ROVER. BUILT TO ALLOW THE ROVER TO CRAWL OVER LARGE CRATERS WHILE ALSO ALLOWING SAND TO SLIP THRU THE OPEN SPACES, THIS MULTI-FUNCTIONAL WHEEL IS A NEW STANDARD IN GROUND TRANSPORT. “WE HAD TO START FROM SCRATCH ON THESE ROVER WHEELS, BASICALLY IT WAS THE RE-INVENTION OF THE WHEEL FOR
ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY
“When Parker Brothers Concepts was approached to do this Mars Rover project, we were humbled and honored to work on such a historic vehicle. It will stand the test of time and become a legacy for our company and we could not be more appreciative to the fans all over the world that have shown PBC how much they care, We love you all right back.”
-Shanon Parker