Nope, try again.
Posted on 06/22/2017 9:20:38 PM PDT by BenLurkin
In the case of places like Titan (which have low gravity and dense atmospheres) aerial drones are considered the best bet. But when it comes to rocky place like asteroids, the Moon and Mars, the best candidate may be robot snakes, which could find their way through tight spaces and travel underground.
This concept was proposed three years ago by the Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research (SINTEF), the largest independent research organization in Scandinavia. As part of a project commissioned by the ESA – known as SERPEX – they began studying how robots designed to mimic the movements of snakes could assist astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
“More ambitious applications include potential activities on comets and the Moon. [A] Snake Robot that can assist ISS astronauts in maintaining their equipment is perhaps a solution which can be possible to realize on a more short term.”
Compared to other robotic explorers, the main selling point of a robot snake is that it offers better mobility. For two decades now, NASA has been exploring the Red Planet with robotic rovers, starting with Pathfinder and Sojourner in 1997, Spirit and Opportunity in 2003, and then Curiosity in 2012. And in a little over two years, they will be sending the Mars 2020 rover.
In all cases, these robots get around on six wheels and conduct experiments using instruments on robotic arms. But as the missions teams behind these rovers have learned, mobility can be a challenge. For instance, after five years on the Martian surface, the Spirit rover became stuck in soft soil, where its mission ended. And as successful as these missions have been at conducting research, there are locations that they simply can’t get to.
(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...
Nope, try again.
I think someone has been reading Dune a little too much.
this idea is ridiculous.
Snakes on a plain.
(it had to be done)
I’d volunteer Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, Little Dickless Durbin, Nancy Pelosi and Spawn of Chuckie Schumer for this mission.
After all, they are very experienced human snakes.
#5. It had to been done. OK, take this.
“The snakebite pains on the plain go mainly to the brain”.
I deserved that. Yes, I did.
Robot camels!
Somehow i have this vision of every muslim on earth being deported to Mars, of course it gets terraformed, they get to have a muslim planet and earth lives peacefully.
IMHO robotic snakes should be developed to explore earthquake ruins for survivors.
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