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Exploding Robots May Scout Hazardous Asteroids

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Mon Jan 22, 2007 01:04 PM
from the things-that-asplode dept.
Space Robotics
An anonymous reader writes to mention NewScientist is reporting that a small force of robots designed to explode could help reveal an asteroid's inner structure. This could in turn allow scientists a better understanding of how to divert a rogue asteroid on a collision course with Earth. From the article: "The main spacecraft would stay a few dozen kilometers away, perhaps nudging the probes towards the asteroid using springs. Once on the surface, the protective spherical shell of each probe would open to allow the probe to scan the surface nearby. To reduce complexity and costs, the probes lack solar panels and run on battery power, limiting their lifetime to a few days. But each probe could still cover a lot of ground in that time, as they could be fitted with small thrusters to let them hop across the surface. Eventually the probes could detonate onboard explosives, sacrificing themselves for science one by one. Probes that had not yet detonated would listen for any seismic waves sent rippling out from the explosion, and the main spacecraft could observe the craters left behind. That would tell scientists about the asteroid's strength and internal structure."
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Researchers from the University of Maryland have recently discovered three asteroids that appear to be roughly 4.55 billion years old, dating back to the formation of the Solar System. The scientists say that the asteroids have survived relatively unchanged since that time, and make good candidates for future space missions. "'The fall of the Allende meteorite in 1969 initiated a revolution in the study of the early Solar System,' said Tim McCoy, curator of the national meteorite collection at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. 'I find it amazing that it took us nearly 40 years to collect spectra of these [CAI-rich] objects and that those spectra would now initiate another revolution, pointing us to the asteroids that record this earliest stage in the history of our Solar System.'"
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  • Exploration by destruction. If that is not a Bush Administration approach to space exploration, I don't know what is :-)
    • Funny... I thought Sony found a new market for their exploding laptop batteries.
    • If that is not a Bush Administration approach to space exploration, I don't know what is :-)

      Simple : It's a...
      BruceWillisBot (TM) !
       
      special "Armagedon (TM)" Edition. (Although no announcement has been made yet, if the CD deck playing Aerosmith will be optionnal)
  • What with all the exploding robots exploring them, of course they're going to be a bit hazardous.

    • Re:No wonder they're hazardous! (Score:5, Funny)

      by eviloverlordx (99809) on Monday January 22 2007, @01:16PM (#17713072)
      What with all the exploding robots exploring them, of course they're going to be a bit hazardous.

      I would hate to be one of the engineers testing these.
      • > > What with all the exploding robots exploring them, of course they're going to be a bit hazardous.
        >
        > I would hate to be one of the engineers testing these.

        "Engineers? What about the poor robots?"
        - PETRO: People for the Ethical Treatment of Robot Overlords

        • PETRO: People for the Ethical Treatment of Robot Overlords

          Personally, I'd have included the "L" in "Overlords" in that acronym.

      • Re:No wonder they're hazardous! (Score:4, Funny)

        by cayenne8 (626475) on Monday January 22 2007, @01:40PM (#17713426) Homepage Journal
        "Will this alter the trajectory of them and cause earth to be in harms way?"

        I think the bigger worry would be:

        I hope to hell OTHER planets aren't coming up with exploding robot probes....and aming them at that 'earth' planet way out there....to see what kind of seismic activity they can detect.

        • With all the exploding we do all by ourselves on this planet I'd be suprised if we noticed.

          On the other hand... Tunguska...

  • Think of the Asteroids (Score:5, Funny)

    by Suffering Bastard (194752) * on Monday January 22 2007, @01:10PM (#17712984)
    Oh great, we're about to start pissing off asteroids by blowing up their kin. OF COURSE they're going to come falling on us, if for no other reason than retaliation.

    Watch for attacking asteroid clusters, armed to the teeth with lasers and nuclear bombs!

    ha ha, just kidding...asteroids don't have teeth.
  • welcome our new asteroid-hopping self-destructive explorer robots. I hope they asplode before they turn against us.

  • Bomb #20 says... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Half a dent (952274) on Monday January 22 2007, @01:14PM (#17713048)
    "Let there be light"
  • OMG ROLLERMINES

    that is all.

  • In a related story..... (Score:5, Funny)

    by ReidMaynard (161608) on Monday January 22 2007, @01:18PM (#17713100) Homepage
    NASA announces the hiring of Wile E. Coyote to a Senior Staff position....

  • warning: humor follows (Score:3, Funny)

    by zappepcs (820751) on Monday January 22 2007, @01:19PM (#17713130) Journal
    Will these explorer androids be launched by the JSA? Jihad Space Agency?
  • Sometimes I wonder what they mean by cheap. I suppose they mean cheap in comparison to other robots they could send. Either way, I do find this a bit exciting. It might lead to some interesting discoveries. Who knows, we could soon by mining these asteroids some day and all these experiments will pay for themselves. Then again, with all the budget cuts NASA has been taking these days, I wonder if these small and cheap robots will even get off the ground. I suppose only time will tell.

  • Last words from the robots: (Score:5, Funny)

    by UnknowingFool (672806) on Monday January 22 2007, @01:25PM (#17713212)
    "I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed."

  • Obligatory (Score:3, Funny)

    by Schraegstrichpunkt (931443) on Monday January 22 2007, @01:27PM (#17713244) Homepage
    Bite my shiny metal ass!

  • Easy Economics: Capital vs Labor (Score:3, Funny)

    by Not_Wiggins (686627) on Monday January 22 2007, @01:27PM (#17713252) Journal
    With the proliferation of people willing to strap bombs to their chests in order to "make the world better," it would certainly be easier (and cheaper) to recruit people who already know how to walk to a location and self-detonate than to spend it on "high tech" solutions.

    I can see the ad campaign now:

    "Tired of being labeled a terrorist? Why not join the new Space Explorers Club and really help humanity! Visitation with Allah guaranteed after mission! Sign up today!"

    Then research funds could be freed up to build robotic solutions the world REALLY want... sex bots! Woo!

    (For the humor impaired, insert tongue into cheek and re-read. ;) )
    • Then research funds could be freed up to build robotic solutions the world REALLY want... sex bots! Woo!

      The last thing I need is an exploding sex bot, thanks.

  • Armageddon (Score:3, Funny)

    by writerjosh (862522) on Monday January 22 2007, @01:39PM (#17713410) Homepage
    Send Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck up there again. They're cheap and expendable. Plus they're not doing any good down here.
  • I just hope the probes can reach the surface of the comet at all.
    It may unexpectedly detonate before [thunderbolts.info] it even reaches the surface.

    IMarv
  • BOOOOM!

    Beezbot. This is Robot 35. Robot W34 detonated - Boop beep bop. Composition of asteroid is rock

    This is Commander Robot. Robot W35 please detonate

    This is W35. Why?

    This is Commander Robot. We need to determine composition of asteroid

    BOOOOM!

    Beezbot. This is Robot 36. Robot W35 detonated - Boop beep bop. Composition of asteroid is rock

    ...

  • Remote control sharks [slashdot.org] or exploding robots... remote control sharks... exploding robots... Argh!

  • Virgin robots? (Score:3, Funny)

    by A nonymous Coward (7548) * on Monday January 22 2007, @01:50PM (#17713544)
    Are the suicidal robots being misinformed about 72 virgin robots awaiting them?
  • All funnin' aside, this does advance science quite a bit. I'm happy to see the "science bombs" properly specced out as disposable tech rather than the live-forever approach NASA typically produces (Go rovers!)

    Plus, I'm all for having an OTS weapon system for targets within the solar system. But I blame that on my recent reading list. Curse you John Ringo! Curse you, your Posleen and Von Neumann probes all to hell!

  • The title... (Score:3, Funny)

    by xENoLocO (773565) * on Monday January 22 2007, @01:52PM (#17713584) Homepage
    ... kind of reads like a test sentence for a font.

    "Exploding Robots May Scout Hazardous Asteroids" ..

    "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
    • Well, except for the missing F, J, K, Q, and V.

      Take a look a the number of letters of the alphabet that are in "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

      • Ok, then.

        "Exploding Robots May Scout Fjqvking Hazardous Asteroids"

        Makes at least as much sense as "Jackdaws love my big sphinx of quartz."
  • The most famous exploding robot I know is rocket car magnate Malfunctioning Eddie. [wikipedia.org] "Hi I'm Malfunctioning Eddie, and I'm malfunctioning so badly, I'm practically giving these cars away."
  • To reduce complexity and costs, the probes lack solar panels and run on battery power

    Batteries will reduce costs even further, igniting the increasing power of explosions, as seen on laptops :)

  • To reduce complexity and costs, the probes lack solar panels and run on battery power, limiting their lifetime to a few days. [...] Eventually the probes could detonate onboard explosives, sacrificing themselves for science one by one.

    Seeing the possibility for further profit, Sony has opened an Aeronautical division within the company. The Aeronautical division is planning to take all recalled Sony laptop batteries and sell them NASA, thereby nabbing two birds with one stone. The only potential problem, ac

  • Probes do not have to self destruct by design!

    But I guess this will be useful if Aliens discover them. Of course they will be mad as hell at us when they give the probe to their kid to play with and it gets its tentacles blown off!
  • This is a waist of time and resources.

    At the most, they find out what that meteaor is made out of, and they plan to use that to speculate what others are made up from.

    Not all are the same. They could be from different planets/moons, or even parts (think core vs crust on earth).

    Rather than figure out what the one they are testing is made of, we should look into ways to change the orbit/destroy meators regaurdless of their composition.

    An early detection system with multiple ways to move it and destroy them.
  • Hmm, an exploding device that runs on battery power. Where have I head that before?

    Glad they found some constructive use for the Sony battery recall after all.
  • They could send them to Uranus.

    (sorry)
  • Low Energy Metal Minion Incinerating New Grounds.
    • Gandalf was obviously NOT a geek.

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by camperdave (969942)
        If the advice is sound, what difference does it make if it came from a fictional character. When Yoda says, "Do, or do not. There is no 'try.'", is it somehow less valid because it came out of the mouth of a glorified sock puppet? When the fictional Captain Jean-Luc Picard says,"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." (incidentally, quoting another fictional character) does that mean that we are
        • The problem, such as it is, is that a lot of people listen more to who is being quoted than the quote itself. That is, it's not what's being said so much as who is saying it that lends the words their weight - it's an appeal to authority. Fictional characters are often imbued with an authority that they simply do not have; yes, Gandalf and Yoda are wise, but what they actually say is only as wise (or not) as their writers are.

          A lot of people have a tendency to hear/read a quotation and think "Oh, *X* said i
    • I don't understand why, when you're trying to understand asteroid collisions with the Earth, you don't perform asteroid collisions with other planets?

      Shoemaker-Levy-9, meet Jupiter.

      Oh right, that was a comet and a gas giant, not an asteroid and an iron core rock-and-water ball.

      Come to think of it, why not set up durable monitoring posts around Jupiter's moons? That should be a more impact-rich scenario. Save money by recording natural impact phenomena.
    • There are lots of reasons to suspect that our knowledge of impacts is less than we believe. For instance, we *assume* that the reason that nearly all impact craters are round is because the kinetic impact creates an explosion. But there are other potential plasma-based explanations that have been ignored. When two plasmaspheres come into contact, for instance, it is known that electrical interactions can occur. If a significant electrical discharge happens between the ground and the object, then a round cra
      • I like it. It's a clever play along the lines of the old "Press Alt-F4 to [do something]" trick (which, I suppose, is a less clever play of the old "Type +++ to [do something]" trick, but that's admittedly before my time).
    • The probes run on battery power so they only last a few days.
      If you were the last remaining robot on a lone desolate asteroid would you rather wait out your final hours, dying and withering away while your battery fades.. or would you rather go out with a bang and make it a quick painless death?
    • I think you missed the bit about it being a film.

      Robots are distinctly non-perfect for that. Consider the diaglogue:

      90mins of "beep... beep.... beep...." followed by "bang".

      Except you don't even get to hear that because the robot ship doesn't need any air in which to make a sound...

      I suppose you could focus on the ground action - 90mins of some guy pacing backwards and fowards muttering "metric, imperial, metric, imperial, fuck which was it?...".

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