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Solar-Powered Moon Rover To Explore Apollo Landing

Posted by samzenpus on from the check-out-the-whole-stage dept.

Mike writes "Carnegie Mellon roboticist Dr. William Whittaker has teamed up with Astrobiotic Technology to develop a solar powered moon rover that will explore the Apollo landing site in 2011. The photovoltaic clad robot features two electric motors in the hub of each wheel, and a half cone of solar generators up top that will power the wheels, run computers, and beam stereo HD video back to earth. The project has been entered in the $25 million Google Lunar X Prize competition."

7 of 151 comments (clear)

  1. Please leave the landing sites alone! by jms · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sending a mouse to disturb the eternal footprints of giants. Sort of a metaphor for the current state of NASA, sadly.

  2. Here's hoping they'll observe from a distance by TinBromide · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I hope that they put on a really really good telephoto lense. Those original footprints have the chance of lasting for thousands of years if WE DON'T STOMP ALL OVER THEM WITH A FRICKING ROBOT.

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  3. Could someone please explain by JayTech · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why is it necessary that we go back and explore what was accomplished in the past? Call me stupid, but it seems like a rover on the moon could do something more useful than exploring a bunch of dusty boot prints and some used equipment. Anyone care to enlighten me?

    1. Re:Could someone please explain by isaac338 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Why is it necessary that we go back and explore what was accomplished in the past?

      Because the relics of the past visits will give us valuable insight into long-term exposure of our machinery in the environment of the Moon - something that is surely relevant to future efforts of colonization. All the things we left behind have been sitting (hopefully?) untouched for 40 years getting bombarded with micrometeoroids, experiencing huge temperature swings and moonquakes, and generally experiencing the reality of existing there.

      I find it fascinating and am excited to see pictures of how the sites have weathered.

  4. Re:No by Darkness404 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why? Sure, its "cool" to preserve everything, but its a heck of a lot more valuable to see how the machines have fared for the eventual colonization of the moon and for future generations. I'm not exactly sure what the point is if we are looking back on history rather than creating it.

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  5. Re:Buzz Aldrin punch by DigiShaman · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This single punch is all that's required to earn my respect. No speech, interview, or biography holds as much weight to the punch he threw. It's an act of pure love and protection of the sacrifice he made to make history for all mankind.

    Buzz Aldrin, you f-ing ROCK!!!

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  6. Really? REALLY? by TiggertheMad · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Oh, for fuck's sake...we go to the trouble to build a super slick rover to explore the surface of another planet, and they want to waste time visiting the .0001% that we already have explored? If there isn't something better to be exploring on the moon, why the hell are we going again?

    I knew we were a glorified pack of narcissistic monkeys but this just take it.

    "Lets go look and see where we landed LAST time we were here, that seems like a good idea."

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