Cable ties persevere on Mars Rover

The same cable ties that are used in commercial applications worldwide are also being used in the NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission.

The Perseverance rover landed on Mars on 18 February 2021, for an ambitious mission to collect samples and address key questions about the potential for life on the red planet.

NASA states that the Perseverance is the largest, most advanced rover it has sent into space and operates with the world’s most advanced technology, including being equipped with Ty-Rap cable ties from ABB.

ABB asserts that its cable ties can be found in buildings, subways, the deepest oceans and outer space and are designed to withstand the demands of space flight and resist corrosion and radiation in the most extreme environments. NASA has integrated the Ty-Rap cable ties to fasten the rover’s interior and exterior conduit and components and to secure research and lab equipment.

“Similar to how standard cable ties are a practical solution for use around the home to organize everything from indoor cords to outdoor lights, high-performance Ty-Rap cable ties connect and secure the rover’s wires and equipment,” said ABB Installation Products president Matthias Heilmann. “For nearly 50 years, these Ty-Rap cable ties have performed in the most intense conditions on earth and protected components from high impact elements and radical temperature changes in previous space expeditions.”

The company elucidates that the business known today as ABB Installation Products has provided products to the space programme since 1973, and Ty-Rap cable ties are in continued use on the still active NASA Curiosity rover and were previously used on the twin Spirit and Opportunity rovers. Originally patented in 1958, standard Ty-Rap cable ties became known for their Grip of Steel locking device in business and household use. Since then, nearly 30 billion Ty-Rap cable ties have been produced – laid end-to-end, enough to stretch to the Moon and back more than a dozen times.