Could the Tumbleweed Rover Dominate Mars?

astroengine writes "Mars has been visited by orbiters, landers and rovers, but could the future of Martian exploration be inspired by a wind-blown sphere? NASA and other research institutions have been developing the Mars Tumbleweed rover for the last decade, but with the help of the Planetary Science Institute, the Tumbleweed is now vying for some serious funding to further develop the technologies required. Although the Tumbleweed would be wholly dependent on the prevailing winds on the Martian surface, the lightweight and relatively cheap design could lead the way for a 'swarm' of independent Tumbleweeds to explore vast regions of the planet (video link). In 2003 and 2004, NASA even tested an inflatable Tumbleweed prototype on Greenland and Antarctica — it traversed hundreds of miles with ease, continually relaying location and environmental data."

Re:How appropriate...

[TheJokeExplainer]

the parent is of course, referring to the cutbacks the Obama administration has done with the space program like the axing of the Constellation Program manned moon missions [reuters.com].

Re:Is the atmosphere dense enough?

[Anonymous Coward]

i saw something about this lately somewhere, cant remember the source. But for sand and rocks that are moved around mars, the winds are too weak, however there are infrequent strong gusts which can move sand around, and once moving, because of the low gravity, only small winds are required to maintain the motion for significant periods of time.

Re:Frequently asked question at JPL:

[TheJokeExplainer]

While the Caruso Method [cracked.com] is widely studied, little is known about the man. Like a grimacing chameleon, Caruso blends in with his surroundings. He is not just the star of a show that takes place in Miami. Caruso is Miami.

Re:Footprints?

[BabyDave]

Don't be silly, those are obviously the footprints of the Martian gorillas [thesun.co.uk].

Re:How appropriate...

[confused one]

The budget I read added more money to NASA's budget. But yes, it did kill Constellation.

Re:Frequently asked question at JPL:

[blind biker]

Maybe he just didn't see it.

He is, after all...

The blind biker.

Well, cut me some slack: I'm at home with a flu, and so is the wife and our 4 month-old baby boy. It's easy to miss some tiny detail from this end of the business.

Anyhow, this thread keeps on giving and is awesome, even if I'm the butt of the joke.