GPS on Mars?

Roland Piquepaille writes "SPACE.com published two days ago an article named "Red Planet Wayfinder: A GPS System for Mars." You'll read that NASA researchers are studying a 'global positioning satellite (GPS) system around Mars that could also function as a communications network.' This would imply 'a constellation of microsatellites, or Microsats, and one or more relatively large Mars Aerostationary Relay Satellites, or MARSats,' according to the Mars Network website at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). This sounds like a neat idea, but there are several issues here. First, the JPL site mentioned above has not been updated since 1999. Then, there is no mention of such a mission at NASA's Mars exploration program website. So, here is my question: is this a recycled 4-year old article? In this overview, you'll find some spectacular images and more indications leading to think that the article was written in 2000. And please note that a Slashdot reader asked last December 'Whatever Happened To The Mars Network?' without receiving an adequate answer."

Comments

Who cares what a reader asked?

[grub]

"And please note that a Slashdot reader asked last December 'Whatever Happened To The Mars Network?' without receiving an adequate answer."

And why would he? If NASA and JPL don't update their sites with current information or release info to the public, did he thing that some /.er would be able to glean answers from a crystal ball or tea leaves?

[rant] Suprisingly his question isn't on the "ask slashdot" page where you get all sorts of "Hey /., my boss wants me to do $FOO. How do I do it?" Really, some people have to relearn wiping their own asses. [/rant]

Cool!

[Marble68]

Now, privatized probes could be launched and we land could be surveyed and claims issued.

Seriously, this could be usefull for a manned mission. Landmarks may be hard to recognize
If anyone has been watching NASA TV, there's a killer animation about how they launch supplies and a return vehicle in stages.
Very neat.

First things first

[Sean80]

I just don't understand why this sort of article comes out when we don't even seem to have the political will to put people back on the moon.

Wouldn't it make far more sense to a) put people back on the moon, b) work out if, in actual practice, astronauts require GPS systems in such a situation and then c) put GPS satellites around the moon? This whole fascination with Mars thing sounds strange to me when we have a much closer, much easier, much less prone to failure environment in which we can perfect things before heading out further into the solar system.

The Point.

[Deathlizard]

Honestly, I dont see much of a need for GPS on mars. It's not like we need a precise 10 meter point of exactly where a rover is. As long as the rover sees where it's at it's pretty much what we want out of it.

I can see a use for a DSN (Deep Space network) to consolidate mars radio traffic into one higher powered more redundant network, but GPS would be a pain to make work on mars. This is especially true with the amount of satelites needed, not to mention there would have to be a way to sync all of their internal clocks to give a precise reading which would be tough from an hour away.

This is a good thing

[goatstuffer]

Building a Navstar-like constellation around Mars, while the obvious benefits may be elusive outside of a few probes in the next few years, will keep everyone focused on Mars itself. This can be only a good thing.

The more we send to Mars, the more likely that there'll eventually be a manned mission. People don't like to abandon projects once they've invested a great deal of time and effort.

Sure, I know there's a lot of "more useful" and "efficient" things to spend the money on. Then again, who wants to be "efficient", let's explore!

Re:Waste - NOT!

[Rob Carr]

Sounds like a waste to me. I mean, are we really going to be sending that many more rovers before we start considering sending a human exploration team?

First, such a system would be helpful to a human exploration team. Second, most human mission proposals include sending supplies (or machines to manufacture those supplies) on ahead. Getting, those machines together and getting the humans to them would be helpful. Third, there's a lot of science that can be done by carefully mapping the orbits of the Mars Positioning System - it's a great way to find mascons and the like. Fourth, yeah, they probably will be sending a lot more rovers, including aerial drones that would really benefit from a GPS-like system.

Communications could be useful

[jekewa]

While I'm not up for any grand schemes too long before people or large installations of machines are in place, if the satellites functioned as communications also, that would reduce the effect of being "on the dark side" of the planet. Any messages to and from Earth (or elsewhere) could be relayed around the planet.

On another thought, a slightly more enhanced, outward looking system could be put into place for scanning the rest of space while Mars and Earth are on opposite sides of the sun. Or this could be used just to get a view from farther away, or what have you.

Uh

[HarveyBirdman]

Isn't this like someone in 1650 proposing a continental highway system for the New World?