Wide Angle: Welcoming Our Roving Mars Robot Overlords
June 22, 2009
If I had to choose what kind of robot I could be, I wouldn't hesitate. I'd be a Mars rover.
Why? Because planetary rovers are awesome!
I could be a deep space probe like Voyager... but that's a long, drawn-out death in the space between the stars. Although interstellar space is interesting for astrophysicists, from a robot's point of view, there's not a lot to do (except for pondering the Pioneer Effect).
I could be one of the planetary satellites like the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter or Venus Express... nah, my orbit would eventually decay, or I might get zapped by a cosmic ray, causing me to malfunction, knocking me into the atmosphere. I've never been fond of being cooked alive, followed by an impact at terminal velocity (if I don't burn up before, that is).
Although probes like New Horizons have an exciting job (who wouldn't want to see Pluto with their own eyes?!) and spacecraft like Cassini have a fun time scooting around planetary systems, Mars roving most appeals to me. Although I have a passion for Mars, I wouldn't settle for being a lander, I'd want wheels and I'd want to drive over that alien terrain.
Although the Mars Exploration Rovers are making the whole Mars roving thing look easy (Spirit is even doing it 5-wheel-style), it is far from that, requiring the best scientists, engineers and controllers to ensure our tough rovers can make it from one sol to the next.
So, in this Wide Angle, we're looking at what it takes to be a Mars rover (surprise!), and there will be some surprises in store. Have a look at the starting line-up (there's a lot more to come over the next two weeks):
-
My Take: Lasers and Mars Rovers
Mars roving is Ryan Anderson's specialty, making him the perfect scientist to overview the science behind the sophisticated rover missions. But why does he want to vaporize Mars rocks with lasers?
- Blog: Space Disco
"Has Spirit Lost Her Spirit?" -- Ian O'Neill investigates the recent trouble Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has been suffering.
- Blog: Cosmic Ray
"Do the Mars Rovers See Martian Leprechauns?" -- Ray Villard discusses the excitement caused by misinterpretation of rover images.
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HowStuffWorks: Mars Roving Hall of Fame
Only three wheeled robots have trundled in the Martian dirt, two of which are soldiering on today. Next up is a huge, plutonium-powered, laser-touting robot set to dominate the Red Planet in 2011...
- Video: Top 5 Cases For Martian Life
Life on Mars? James Williams looks at 5 reasons scientists think it's possible.
- Puzzles: Faces of Mars
The Martian surface often has complex geological features that look like humanoid faces when shadows fall in certain ways. Try to piece together these jigsaw puzzles to see if you can spot these optical illusions too.
- News: Mars Methane Found, Raising Possibility of Life
Methane has been detected in the Martian atmosphere, but what does it mean? It is hoped the Mars Science Laboratory will investigate methane sources to see whether they have a biological or geological origin.
More about Mars and Mars rovers from our partner sites:
- HowStuffWorks: How the Mars Exploration Rovers Work
Opportunity and Spirit are still roving around on the regolith as if Mars is their adopted home, but what are the reasons for sending the rover pair to Mars in the first place?
- Science Channel: Single Planet Seeks Inhabitants: Date Mars
Searching for a new planet? Look no further, Mars is here to tell you why you should pack up and head to the Red Planet!
- Science Channel: Roving Mars (Part 1)
With brilliant design and hard work, the rover engineers create a robotic wonder to explore Mars.
- Science Channel: Roving Mars (Part 2)
How do you get a rover to Mars? Here's the trip from launch to touchdown.
Enjoy!
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