A few things about the physical rover that people sensibly want to know before spending twenty hours building one.
What it is made of. The structural parts are PCB panels — the same material as circuit boards — not wood or metal. That is what gives the finished rover its look, and it is also why the parts arrive flat on lettered panels.
What powers it. Six AA batteries. Fresh alkaline cells are the right choice — rechargeables give 1.2 V instead of 1.5 V, which is not always enough for the rover to run properly. See Can I use rechargeable batteries in my DIY kit?.
The soldering. The joints you make are conventional pin-and-pad work, done step by step against more than a hundred photographs in the build guide. The fine surface-mount parts you can see on the boards arrive already fitted — they are not something you solder. If you can solder a pin to a pad, or want to learn to, the guide will carry you.
Where to drive it. Indoors, or outside on dry ground in dry weather. It has no water-resistance rating, so rain, puddles and wet grass are off the menu, and grit is worth keeping out of the wheels and servos.
Assembled size. We do not publish assembled dimensions on the product page. If the size matters for a shelf or a display case, email [email protected] and we will measure one for you.
Build time is around 20 hours and the recommended age is 11 and up — the rest of the pre-purchase picture is in NASA Mars Perseverance Rover — Frequently Asked Questions and What is in the NASA Mars Rover box.