Why would we want to deviate from such a successful means of exploring this alien landscape? As Jones' team chased after the oversized beach ball (measuring 1.5 meters in diameter), the idea was born: An independent ball that acts like a tumbleweed could have the potential to explore Mars, propelled only by the Martian winds.īut could this fascinating concept supersede the Mars rover as planetary exploration vehicle of choice? Let's face it, NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers have outlived their planned mission lifetimes by six years (they were designed to last five months). This inflatable ball bounced over boulders, sped up steep slopes and traveled over coarse vegetation with ease. In 2000, another JPL team headed by Jack Jones was testing a three-wheeled inflatable rover in the Mojave Desert, Calif., when one of the "wheels" broke off and was blown over the sand dunes. However, the modern incarnation of the Tumbleweed was inspired by accident.
This was shortly after the Mars Viking Landers discovered that the Martian atmosphere consisted mainly of carbon dioxide and had relatively strong winds. The idea of sending a spherical, wind-propelled vehicle (or "Mars Ball") to the Red Planet was originally conceived in 1977 by Jacques Blamont of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the University of Paris. The robotic Tumbleweed could be the mission to fulfill these aims. This would be hugely beneficial for the continuing search for Martian life, as so far we've been restricted to only exploring tiny patches of Mars. So, before humans can explore where only robots have dared to tread, we need more reconnaissance missions with the ability to explore greater areas of the Martian landscape.
This car-sized rover will be able to dominate the Martian surface day, night and during the worst dust storms.)
#TUMBLEWEED GIF FACE GENERATOR#
(The upcoming Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity bypasses the solar array dust problem by using a radioisotope thermoelectric generator - or RTG for short - to power it. Although Spirit is still soldiering on, the rover is firmly stuck in a sand trap in Gusev Crater. Opportunity is doing well, notching up kilometers on the odometer. But even rovers have their limitations.Ĭomplex moving parts (such as wheels and joints) get clogged or jammed, solar panels often get coated in dust and although their range can be impressive for an extraterrestrial robot, they can't really explore vast regions of Mars' surface. Although there have only been three successful rover missions to date (two of which are still reporting for duty) and two more are planned for launch in the coming years, this is arguably the best way to trundle across the Martian surface. They might be stuck on the spot, but they can do a lot of science.Īnd then there's the rover a balance between mobility and scientific payload. Then there are the landers stationary probes carrying a suite of instruments to dig and analyze the local Martian dirt. Although they can't do science in situ, they can gain a global perspective on the Martian geography. First and foremost are the orbiters satellites inserted in various Martian orbits, viewing the planetary surface with ever increasing resolution from hundreds of miles in altitude. The robotic exploration of Mars has come in three shapes so far.
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