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Exploding Robots May Scout Hazardous Asteroids

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Mon Jan 22, 2007 02:04 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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  • Smells of... (Score:2, Funny)

    by Tablizer (95088)
    Exploration by destruction. If that is not a Bush Administration approach to space exploration, I don't know what is :-)

    • Then it's a.... (Score:3, Funny)

      by DrYak (748999)

      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 wil

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

    by spun (1352) <`loverevolutionary' `at' `yahoo.com'> on Monday January 22 2007, @02:08PM (#17712950) Journal
    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, @02:16PM (#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.
      [ Parent ]

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Tackhead (54550)
        > > 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 Treatmen

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

        by cayenne8 (626475) on Monday January 22 2007, @02:40PM (#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.

        [ Parent ]

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

    by Suffering Bastard (194752) * on Monday January 22 2007, @02:10PM (#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.

  • Bomb #20 says... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Half a dent (952274) on Monday January 22 2007, @02:14PM (#17713048)
    "Let there be light"

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

    by ReidMaynard (161608) on Monday January 22 2007, @02:18PM (#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, @02:19PM (#17713130) Journal
    Will these explorer androids be launched by the JSA? Jihad Space Agency?

  • 'Small and Cheap' (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Normal Dan (1053064)
    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 aste

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

    by UnknowingFool (672806) <minh_duong.yahoo@com> on Monday January 22 2007, @02:25PM (#17713212)
    "I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed."

  • Obligatory (Score:3, Funny)

    by Schraegstrichpunkt (931443) on Monday January 22 2007, @02:27PM (#17713244) Homepage
    Bite my shiny metal ass!

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

    by Not_Wiggins (686627) on Monday January 22 2007, @02:27PM (#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. ;) )

  • Armageddon (Score:3, Funny)

    by writerjosh (862522) on Monday January 22 2007, @02:39PM (#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!

    Be

  • 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, @02:50PM (#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

  • The title... (Score:3, Funny)

    by xENoLocO (773565) * on Monday January 22 2007, @02:52PM (#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."

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by d3ac0n (715594)
      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 Capt
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