Insane Rover Idea

Mars has an atmosphere, right? So how about we design a rover that can be moved
from research site to research site on Mars via a blimp?

Blimp lands, anchors itself in the Martian soil, releases rover, rover does
thorough examination of landing area, returns to blimp, attaches to blimp,
blimp unanchors itself, rises to 500 feet above the ground or so, and begins
flying around and scanning the ground for the next likely spot to set down and
examine.

If a nuclear power source was included, a mission like this could last years
(barring any mishap....I know....a slim possibility) and cover huge amounts of
the planet.

Yes, I realize the Martian winds can get extreme. Some way to deflate the blimp
and sit out storms will be required.

Just an idea. Let's hear you kill it now.
Dave

Not insane, just impractical on a few points.


First, how do blimps work? actually a bit like a boat. they displace a
volume of atmosphere, with a less dense gas. (where a boat displaces water
(dense) with air (not dense).

So, main problem is your capacity for lifting. Seeing as the atmosphere on
Mars is about 1 percent as dense as the atmosphere here on Earth, that means
you will need to displace a larger volume of atmosphere with a less dense
volume of gas.

So large rovers (like the girls down on Mars, Spirit and Opportunity) are
out. You'd need such a large volume of gas, that your envelope to contain
it would likely weigh more than the gas could lift.

If you check out the archives of the Planetary Society there were some
interesting 'Balloon and Snake' concepts a few years ago. Basically you
would have a multi segmented/jointed instrument package (thus the 'snake')
that would be carried by a balloon filled with helium or some other suitable
lifting gas. During the day the gas in the envelope, heated by the sun,
would carry the instrument package airborne. As the gas in the envelope
cooled during the late afternoon the 'snake' would be dragged along the
ground and bring the whole probe to a stop for the night.

They had gone as far as building a mockup and testing it I recall.

Jeffrey Cornish

"Dav1936531" wrote in message
...
Mars has an atmosphere, right? So how about we design a rover that can be
moved
from research site to research site on Mars via a blimp?

Blimp lands, anchors itself in the Martian soil, releases rover, rover
does
thorough examination of landing area, returns to blimp, attaches to blimp,
blimp unanchors itself, rises to 500 feet above the ground or so, and
begins
flying around and scanning the ground for the next likely spot to set down
and
examine.

If a nuclear power source was included, a mission like this could last
years
(barring any mishap....I know....a slim possibility) and cover huge
amounts of
the planet.

Yes, I realize the Martian winds can get extreme. Some way to deflate the
blimp
and sit out storms will be required.

Just an idea. Let's hear you kill it now.
Dave

From: "Jeffrey Cornish"
Date: 3/17/04 3:54 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

So, main problem is your capacity for lifting. Seeing as the atmosphere on
Mars is about 1 percent as dense as the atmosphere here on Earth, that means
you will need to displace a larger volume of atmosphere with a less dense
volume of gas.

I did not realize that this was the situation with Mars' atmosphere. That
certainly makes for very little lifting capacity, either for a blimp type
vehicle or a winged or rotor borne (helicopter type) vehicle. Oh well, back to
the drawing board.
Dave

"Dav1936531" schrieb im Newsbeitrag ...
Mars has an atmosphere, right? So how about we design a rover that can be moved
from research site to research site on Mars via a blimp?

Blimp lands, anchors itself in the Martian soil, releases rover, rover does
thorough examination of landing area, returns to blimp, attaches to blimp,
blimp unanchors itself, rises to 500 feet above the ground or so, and begins
flying around and scanning the ground for the next likely spot to set down and
examine.

If a nuclear power source was included, a mission like this could last years
(barring any mishap....I know....a slim possibility) and cover huge amounts of
the planet.

Yes, I realize the Martian winds can get extreme. Some way to deflate the blimp
and sit out storms will be required.

Just an idea. Let's hear you kill it now.
Much too fragile when blown up. Much too fragile when lying on the ground.
Also, how to anchor in unknown soil?

Personally I'd create loads of small rovers which can last a week or so.
No solar panels, just a battery, spring or hot element and limited movement by
crawling, lets say 50m.

Then, send up 20 or 30 in one go and sprinkle them over the planet.
Keep 5 or 6 in reserve and shoot them at the interesting places discovered
by the first ones. Or at places where the first one has broken down.

Only problem is how to design a small lightweight entry system?
What assistance could be given by the main probe and the lander
itself?

Lots of Greetings!
Volker