Slashdot Log In
NASA's New Lunar Rover in Action
Posted by
CmdrTaco
on Wednesday March 26, @09:34AM
from the can-i-drive-it-to-the-mall dept.
from the can-i-drive-it-to-the-mall dept.
holy_calamity writes "New Scientist has video of Nasa's new Chariot lunar rover in action on simulated moon surface in Houston. As the associated story explains, the two-ton "truck" has a top speed of 20km/hour and is currently fitted with a plough, with additional back hoe and drill attachments to come. Sure it's not glamorous — more of a lunar tractor — but sure looks handy for establishing that permanent moon base NASA wants."
Related Stories
[+]
NASA Considers Plans for Permanent Moon Base 353 comments
el crowbar sent us a link to an MSNBC article detailing NASA's plans for a moon base. The permanently staffed structure could begin construction sometime in 2010, with six-month duty rotations the norm by 2025. Interestingly, the space agency is looking far afield for technical expertise. Consultants on the project include individuals from Caterpillar, Norcat, Boeing, and other manufacturing concerns. Right now the only detail for placement and purpose is 'on the rim of a crater near one of the poles', but the article outlines a few other ideas that enterprising individuals have in mind for a moon base. Besides helium-3 mining and lunar hotels, do you have any good ideas for a moon base startup?
[+]
NASA to Demonstrate Moon Rover 98 comments
coondoggie writes "NASA will this week demonstrate its lunar robot rover equipped with a drill designed to find water and oxygen-rich soil on the moon. NASA said the engineering challenge of building such as drilling system was daunting because a robot rover designed for prospecting within lunar craters has to operate in continual darkness at extremely cold temperatures with little power. The moon has one-sixth the gravity of Earth, so a lightweight rover will have a difficult job resisting drilling forces and remaining stable.The project is just one demonstration of the collaboration NASA is utilizing to bring together its next moon shot. For example, Carnegie Mellon was responsible for the robot's design and testing, and the Northern Centre for Advanced Technology built the drilling system. NASA's Glenn Research Center contributed the rover's power management system. NASA's Ames Research Center built a system that navigates the rover in the dark. The Canadian Space Agency funded a Neptec camera that builds three-dimensional images of terrain using laser light, NASA said."
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Simulated surface (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Simulated surface (Score:5, Funny)
It's easy to see through NASA's lies. Why are there no clouds in the sky in this footage? Answer: it's because they're on the moon, and they added in the blue sky using Adobe Aftereffects, but they couldn't make realistic clouds so they left those out.
Why didn't the rover kick up little clouds of dust? Answer: because there's no air on the moon.
Re:Simulated surface (Score:4, Funny)
But does it have a gun rack? (Score:5, Funny)
*Gun Rack
*Redneck Bumper stickers
*Shiney nude girl mudflaps
*A Wooden Back bumper (Usually 4x8)
*Empty Bud cans on the floor
*A Nascar Sticker on the Back window. #3 or #8) or both !
*Marlboro boxes everywhere.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
"If you can read this, I've lost my trailer."
"I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe."
"Honk If Parts Fall Off"
"Chrome don't get ya home"
"If you can read this - you're too damn close!"
Lunar base (Score:5, Funny)
Multi-Orientation? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Vital component (Score:4, Funny)
and is currently fitted with a plough...
Vital for those sudden lunar snow storms.
Energy Shields Activate! (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Energy Shields Activate! (Score:5, Informative)
Probability on an impact is fairly low. Still would be a consideration which probably results in building (initial) permanent settlements underground. Radiation is a bigger concern, since lethal doses are possible every time energy from an x class solar flare hits the lunar surface.
Build your shelter then cover it with lunar regolith.
Burrow tunnel and build shelter underground
Dig into side of crater and build shelter into crater wall.
your choice. Simply Choose one
There's always risk. Every 100 years or so a rock big enough to do considerable damage gets through Earth's atmosphere. Every few years a storm big enough to do considerable damage hits a major population center. Hell, we live on a molten ball of rock with a crust that's only 30 or so miles thick. Tomorrow the east coast of the U.S. (where I live) could be wiped out by a tsunami.
Back ho? (Score:5, Funny)
Legitimate Question. (Score:5, Insightful)
I refuse to believe I'm the first person to suggest this, but I have yet to see it mentioned anywhere else.
My suggestion, since that's what your thinking at this point, is some type of ceramic.
Re:Legitimate Question. (Score:4, Informative)
Looks fairly stable, but... (Score:4, Insightful)
I've actually laid hands on this thing, (Score:4, Informative)
Here we go again (Score:3, Funny)
1982 wants its video game back! (Score:3, Informative)
Independent steering on each of its six pairs of wheels... give the vehicle the ability to raise or lower each individual wheel to keep its chassis level on uneven ground.
I've remotely driven that *exact* sort of vehicle! Well, in simulation [klov.com], at least. I just can't believe it took from 1982 to now to go from simulator to prototype.
And they still didn't get the forward and vertical blasters! Hokey plows and an ancient drill bit are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.
Russia had impressive Rovers in 1970s (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:'...Currently fitted with a plough' (Score:5, Informative)
More interesting (for me, at least) is for excavation. The plow is used to strip the top layer of loose regolith so that a mining attachment can dig up the compacted stuff. There is evidence of water ice near the poles as well as He-3, so an effective cutterhead and muck retriever could collect resource-laden material. I just so happen to be lead mechanical engineer on such a Chariot-attachable mining module.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
We could have been doing THAT for the past 30 years or so using tele-operated robots. By now we'd have a substantial robotic base, likely mining lunar water to make rocket fuel and lunar soil to make fuel tanks. But all that would've done is cut