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NASA Plans Robotic Lunar Scouts
bleckywelcky writes "NASA's plan to send robotic scouts to the moon in advance of astronauts is starting to take shape, but politics and the presidential election are stalling progress. Yet, NASA is already designing the first of the robotic explorers. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter would return a global topographical map of the moon, measure deep space radiation in lunar orbit and attempt to find water ice at the lunar poles. Read the whole story."
The Mars rovers continue to do an amazing job. Send in the robots!
Here's what I do: Bitty Browser & Andromeda
rooooboooots from oooooouter space overlords are welcome in my tiny abode.
What I don't understand is why they need to design anything.
My understanding is that they use really old proven equipment anyway (like 386 and 486 processors).
Why haven't these robots already been designed?
How many chunks of rock similar to the moon are there? Lots-- like the whole astroid belt, a few other earth satellites, Mars, comets...
Why not design *a* robot and make a bunch of them for real cheap, then just start spraying them into space?
And as for pre-astronaut moon stuff... We've been there before... make more of that and throw about 30 times more than we think we'll need along with whatever (minimum of) new-fangled stuff they want before they even think about putting a human up there. That stuff is going to break-- it would be nice for the astronauts to have the luxury of backup upon backup upon backup before they have to splicing and welding for their lives (apparently the Russian strategy).
Why does NASA have to do a one-off for every freaking nut and bolt?
Yeah-- I know it costs a lot to launch something-- but I bet it also costs a lot to design a new spacecraft every time we launch. And yes I know this is simplified and exaggerated-- but by how much?
Interesting that the Soviets were able to land probes and get rocks and film back to earth without needing people.
Maybe their automated technology was more reliable. But there definitely was a political motive at NASA. Sending people to the moon and making national heros out of the astronouts was a great way of keeping the focus off Vietnam.
Engineering is the art of compromise.
ofo8e single puny Smith only serve The aacounting
Do they need little robot merit badges?
Do they sell cookies to Web sites?
Is there a robot Scoutmaster?
Watch out for that probe!
Nyekulturniy... Proudly confusing readers and editors since 1981!