rhododendrons and lemurs
All modern Mars rovers are assembled on the basis of a wheeled chassis and resemble an all-terrain vehicle in their mode of movement. They are well suited for exploring the plains, but rocky massifs and especially caves are inaccessible, although the most interesting information about the geological history of the planet is hidden there. In this context, NASA is developing animal-like robots for research.
NeBula-SPOT based on Boston Dynamics’ dog-like robot is at SPOT. Designed for exploring shallow cliffs and caves, especially long lava tubes. The pet-like mechanism has no difficulty walking on rocks and uneven surfaces.
They decided to combine several of these robots into a swarm. If one POINT falls to the ground, another connected to it by a cable can go down the cliff. The power source will be a radioisotope thermoelectric generator on one of the robots, so the “dogs” will be able to work in the cave without sunlight. NeBula-SPOT is so far being tested in caves on Earth: it creates three-dimensional maps and marks the most interesting places to explore.
However, robot dogs will not be able to climb a steep cliff. Engineers for this task developing Robot LEMUR. It has many small hooked pads on its four paws. At the command of the computer, the pads are compressed symmetrically towards the center and adhere to the slightest irregularities in the stone.
Thus, LEMUR can climb a rock vertically and examine the composition and structure of the rock with instruments attached to its “belly”.
NASA
During tests on Earth, scientists were able to use it to detect stomatolites, the fossil remains of ancient cyanobacteria. It is not yet clear how the robot lemur will reach the rocks after landing and where it will get energy from. It could possibly be used in conjunction with a conventional wheeled Mars rover capable of landing a climber in an interesting location.
Aircraft carrier and submarine
Saturn’s moon Titan, like Earth, is covered by many seas. Since the surface temperature is approximately -180°C, the seas consist of liquid methane and other hydrocarbons, not water. Titan’s hydrological cycle is believed to be similar to Earth’s; That is, methane evaporates from the seas, forms clouds, falls as rain and flows back into the sea in rivers.
To study this hydraulic system, scientists proposed sending an autonomous floating drone to the satellite. The TiME device (Titan Mare Explorer – explorer of the Titan sea) resembled an inverted floating basin with protruding masts and antennas and was doomed to drift forever under the influence of local winds (atmospheric pressure on Titan is higher than on Earth).
NASA rejected the TiME concept in favor of the InSight apparatus for exploring the interior of Mars, but the idea continued. For example, the surface tool can be changed as follows: mini submarineto explore the seabed. Such a probe can dive periodically to study the topography and composition of the bottom, as well as the chemical composition of liquid, surface and subsurface currents. The concept of alternative biochemistry by replacing water in the body with liquid methane still remains an abstract hypothesis, but if there are such creatures on Titan, it would be logical to look for traces of them at the bottom.
NASA
On the other hand, an autonomous “aircraft carrier” can be used instead of a submarine to fly unmanned aerial vehicles. This idea was submitted to the European Space Agency offered Scientists from the University of Paris. According to their idea, small multicopters would explore and sample a large area of land from the air. The main lander will serve as a charging station, a warming station, and a laboratory for analyzing returned samples.
Both options are still in the concept development phase.
Overalls
Triton is a large moon of Neptune, slightly smaller in diameter than the Moon and with half the gravity. Voyager 2, which passed by it in 1989, discovered traces of plate tectonics and volcanic activity that caused the complex terrain to form. What erupts from Triton volcanoes is not silicate magma, but water containing high amounts of ammonia as nitrogen and antifreeze. Apparently “lava” lakes form from the water-ammonia mixture. The Moon’s surface is only 40°C warmer than absolute zero and is covered with frozen nitrogen.
NASA
According to the NASA Triton Hopper project under development, examine, find Once it lands, it will start collecting nitrogen ice. The radioisotope is then heated using a heat source and turns into a gas under pressure.
The compressed gas will be directed to the engine nozzle to create thrust that will make it possible to make jumps up to one kilometer high and five kilometers long. The cycle will then begin again until the energy source runs out or the system fails from stress.
Triton Hopper will have unprecedented mobility for a probe. Moving at different latitudes, the device will allow us to create a detailed picture of physical processes on Triton and test an unusual method of movement. The project is now in the “maturation of technologies” phase that will make this possible.
Zeppelin-zeppelin
Venus has an extremely dense atmosphere and high surface temperatures. Due to pressure and temperature, the probes will not be able to work on its surface for a long time, and it will be even more difficult to create a wheeled vehicle that can withstand 450-degree heat. But if you fly tens of kilometers from the surface of the planet, the air will cool down, which will be suitable for the operation of the flying probe. Both airplanes and airships are suitable for this, and each of these options has its own advantages.
VAMP device – it’s a baby American private companies Northrop Grumman and LGarde. It combines the features of an airplane and a balloon. The easiest way to describe it is as a “thin” hydrogen airship shaped like a flying wing, with a width of up to 50 meters when inflated. Because of the enormous pressure on Venus, the balloon does not need much volume to maintain neutral buoyancy. In its passive state, VAMP is planned to remain suspended at an altitude of 55 kilometers.
Northrop-Grumman
When the propellers are turned on, the device can accelerate to 100 km/h, which creates lift and puts it in airplane mode. Under these conditions, the probe can fly 50-65 kilometers above the surface of Venus, exploring the desired latitude and longitude with the ability to dive below clouds. VAMP is equipped with an array of spectrometers and a weather station needed to study the unusual atmosphere and clouds in which microscopic organisms could hypothetically live. The device can receive energy from solar panels and goes into passive mode at night, drifting like a hot air balloon.
It was initially thought that VAMP could be part of the Russian Venera-D mission planned for the 2030s. However, the possibility of such a partnership came to nothing after the deterioration of Russian-American relations. Theoretically, the United States could organize such a mission on its own, but studying Venus is a lower priority for NASA compared to studying Mars and the outer planets of the solar system.
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.