Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Spaceballs Could Invade Mars

Posted by timothy on from the honey-I-blew-up-the-grey-soccer-ball dept.

Byteme writes: "CNN reports giant tethered inflatable balls that are being developed by NASA as a potential alternative to the unsuccessful roving robots. The balls apparently will inflate and deflate to catch favorable wind directs and to stop on location. Not quite the fast, cheap and out-of-control solution... but it could be fun to watch!" I wonder if there are any MPEGs of the test this article talks about -- it sounds pretty fun to watch.

4 of 194 comments (clear)

  1. Balls transversing the landscape by SilentChris · · Score: 3, Insightful
    I always thought it would be kind of sad if one of the celestial bodies we explored actually HAD intelligent life, and we kept on sending satelites over it and robotic probes over the surface.

    A few Pathfinders are one thing, but can you imagine if an alien ship came above New York City, dropped house-sized balls and had them "blow around in the wind"? Say there is a living creature on one of these planets that is small enough to be crushed by one of these things, but measurably intelligent? The balls seem like overkill.

  2. Re:How dare you by Ibby · · Score: 2, Insightful

    First man? Yeah, Yuri Gagarin is a fine American name... :P

    Now, go read a history book and find out why your White House is white... :P

    --
    Karma: Good. I'm hoping in the same way as pizza is 'good'...
  3. Spacesuits for Goalposts? by Atrax · · Score: 2, Insightful

    far cry from small astronauts on the moon, spacesuits for goalposts, mortal fear of russians. Who can blame them? Mission controllers in the hutch, hmm? Possibly, don't quote me on that. But, you know, haven't we failed the youth? Haven't given them a postive direction. Self respect. Self belief. I can do it. I can do it. I can do it, I can do it, I can really move, from my head right down to my blue suede moonboots. Isn't it? Rubettes, 1973? Marvellous.





    If you're not british, you probably won't get it


    --
    Screw you all! I'm off to the pub
  4. No. by Tuxinatorium · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The pressure of wind is proportional to the square of the windspeed relative to whatever its hitting. Martian winds are faster than on Earth. This thing doesn't have to be light either. Changes in the weight would affect acceleration, but have little impact on the top speed.

    --
    Repeal the DMCA!