March 28, 2024, 09:08:33 am
Welcome,
Guest
. Please
login
or
register
.
1 Hour
1 Day
Forever
Login with username, password and session length
News
: Giant crater may lie under Antarctic ice
http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn9268
Home
Help
Arcade
Gallery
Links
Staff List
Calendar
Login
Register
Robotic Rock Climbers Could Aid Hunt for Mars Life
Atlantis Online
>
Forum
>
Space
>
Mars, the Red Planet
>
Robotic Rock Climbers Could Aid Hunt for Mars Life
Pages:
1
[
2
]
Go Down
« previous
next »
Print
Author
Topic: Robotic Rock Climbers Could Aid Hunt for Mars Life (Read 236 times)
0 Members and 34 Guests are viewing this topic.
Moonfire
Superhero Member
Posts: 1120
Re: Robotic Rock Climbers Could Aid Hunt for Mars Life
«
Reply #15
on:
December 01, 2014, 10:13:09 pm »
Report Spam
Logged
Moonfire
Superhero Member
Posts: 1120
Re: Robotic Rock Climbers Could Aid Hunt for Mars Life
«
Reply #16
on:
December 01, 2014, 10:13:24 pm »
Report Spam
Logged
Moonfire
Superhero Member
Posts: 1120
Re: Robotic Rock Climbers Could Aid Hunt for Mars Life
«
Reply #17
on:
December 01, 2014, 10:13:52 pm »
Report Spam
Logged
Moonfire
Superhero Member
Posts: 1120
Re: Robotic Rock Climbers Could Aid Hunt for Mars Life
«
Reply #18
on:
December 01, 2014, 10:14:29 pm »
A robot that can scale the faces of steep cliffs might one day help explore Mars and find signs of life.
The latest experiments with this "Cliffbot" showed it could help examine places otherwise difficult or impossible for astronauts to safely reach, although further improvements are needed for it to overcome obstacles, according to findings detailed in the journal Astrobiology.
Gullies and canyons with steep cliffs are seen all over Mars. Ancient channels of water may have cut many of these valleys into the rock of the Red Planet, suggesting water may once have flowed on the surface of what is now a dry and dusty world. [The Search for Life on Mars (A Photo Timeline)]
NASA Eyes Crew Deep Sleep Option for Mars Mission
Play Video
Can We Grow Plants on Mars?
Could we grow plants in the soil of Mars?
The possibility that water flowed on Mars raises hope that life might once have existed there, or could live there still, perhaps hidden in underground reservoirs. Liquid water is an essential ingredient for life as we know it, and there is life virtually everywhere there is liquid water on Earth.
Report Spam
Logged
Moonfire
Superhero Member
Posts: 1120
Re: Robotic Rock Climbers Could Aid Hunt for Mars Life
«
Reply #19
on:
December 01, 2014, 10:15:08 pm »
To see whether the history of Mars includes life, scientists would like to learn more about the planet's past. On Earth, researchers often do this with digs — the older the material is, the deeper it is typically buried. However, digging on Mars is difficult, as doing so requires heavy equipment that is not easy to fly to another planet.
Instead of using robotic or human missions to dig on Mars, researchers want to see if they can take advantage of how naturally occurring gullies and canyons already slice into the Red Planet and expose strata — that is, layers of rock. A robot that can scale the cliffs of these valleys could uncover clues to Martian history. In a sense, the more it would descend, the further back in time it could travel.
Since 2001, the Association Planète Mars, the French chapter of the Mars Society, has experimented with probes capable of being lowered down faces of steep cliffs using cables. The goal is for astronauts to manually operate a Cliff Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) or Cliffbot instead of dangling off rock faces themselves, and use cameras and other scientific instruments aboard the robot to analyze difficult-to-reach locations.
The latest series of tests of the Cliffbot were conducted as part of the Austrian Space Forum's MARS2013 project in February 2013. The researchers worked near Erfoud in the Moroccan desert, where the Saharan geology and topography is similar to that of Mars.
Cliffbot was steered by operators as they wore the Aouda.X spacesuit, an outfit designed to simulate what an astronaut in a real spacesuit might experience on Mars. Although the Aouda.X suit is not truly airtight like a real spacesuit, it could simulate many of the major limitations to dexterity and movement that a real suit on Mars would present (for instance, a system that weighs 100 pounds, or 45 kilograms, and takes two hours to put on).
The scientists experimented with Cliffbot by descending higher cliffs than ever before (previously the robot was tested on cliffs less than 59 feet, or 18 meters, high, in areas such as France and Utah). They succeeded in lowering Cliffbot on a cable of up to 150 feet (46 m) long. These experiments included lowering the robot into a cave mouth on a mud mound, a space that's difficult for an astronaut in a spacesuit to fit through. The researchers added that Mars' lower gravity should make it easier for Cliffbot's operators to lower it to look at items of interest, since on the Cliffbot would weigh roughly 38 percent of what it weighs on Earth.
A wide-view, high-definition camera on Cliffbot helped transmit pictures of numerous fossil seashells embedded in the Moroccan cliffs, suggesting the robot could help astronauts spot any similarly anomalous features on Mars. [7 Biggest Mysteries of Mars]
Report Spam
Logged
Moonfire
Superhero Member
Posts: 1120
Re: Robotic Rock Climbers Could Aid Hunt for Mars Life
«
Reply #20
on:
December 01, 2014, 10:15:45 pm »
Why Extroverts Could Cause Problems on a Mission to Mars
"The important implication of the Cliffbot experiments is to demonstrate that you can replace a deep drill on Mars with a vehicle going down a slope," said study author Alain Souchier, a mechanical engineer and president of the Association Planète Mars in Vernon, France.
Cliffbot did encounter problems during the tests. In one instance, the operators could not retrieve the robot from a debris-laden slope because a boulder 15.7 inches (40 centimeters) long became wedged between the right wheel spokes. One way to solve this challenge in the future might be to use solid wheels without spokes.
The scientists placed a camera with a rear-facing mirror on Cliffbot, and the "Hazcam" helped operators see the robot's surroundings to anticipate the hazards it faced. However, when a rock became stuck between Cliffbot's spokes, the operators could not see this problem from the Hazcam or its mirror. The scientists suggested that in the future, they could add cameras directed at its wheels to detect such problems.
"These modifications are technically rather easy to implement," Souchier said.
He added that the Hazcam did help operators understand what the robot was doing when it was hanging over cliffs out of sight.
The researchers noted Cliffbot might in the future carry the same kinds of scientific instruments that are used on other Mars rovers to better explore Mars. For instance, it could bring along a detector of methane, an organic gas whose existence on Mars might suggest the presence of life. Another useful instrument would be the L.I.F.E. laser, which could detect other molecules that are potential signs of life, such as chlorophyll.
Future experiments with Cliffbot are planned in Utah in 2015. A team of aerospace engineering students "expect to bring improvements to the vehicle," Souchier said.
This story was provided by Astrobiology Magazine, a web-based publication sponsored by the NASA astrobiology program.
More from Space.com:
The Boldest Mars Missions in History
Amazing Mars Photos by NASA's Curiosity Rover (Latest Images)
Astrobiology Road Map Goal 2: Life in Our Solar System
Copyright 2014 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Report Spam
Logged
Moonfire
Superhero Member
Posts: 1120
Re: Robotic Rock Climbers Could Aid Hunt for Mars Life
«
Reply #21
on:
December 01, 2014, 10:16:17 pm »
http://news.discovery.com/space/robotic-rock-climbers-could-aid-hunt-for-mars-life-141201.htm
Report Spam
Logged
Pages:
1
[
2
]
Go Up
Print
« previous
next »
Jump to:
Please select a destination:
-----------------------------
Atlantis Online - Messages
-----------------------------
=> Messages
=> Administrative Messages
=> Commemorating Dates in History
=> Alerts & Warnings
=> Upcoming Events, Releases & Ads
=> Television: Shows & Events
-----------------------------
the Coffee Shop
-----------------------------
=> the Coffee Shop
=> Atlantis: Polls & News
=> Poltical Alerts
=> Causes & Activism
-----------------------------
Videos, Documentaries & Online Movies
-----------------------------
=> Ancient History & Lost Civilizations
=> Ghosts, UFOs & the Esoteric
=> Music, Entertainment & the Arts
=> Conspiracies & Suppressed Knowledge
=> Documentary & Videos
-----------------------------
Ages of the Earth
-----------------------------
=> The Early Earth, Geology & Fossils
=> Dinosaurs
=> Catastrophes & Mass Extinctions
=> Ice Age
=> Humanity's Origins & Civilization's First Steps
-----------------------------
Mythology & Heroic Sagas of Culture & Myth
-----------------------------
=> Mythology
=> Greek Mythology
=> Arthurian Myth
=> Quest for King Arthur
-----------------------------
Atlantis
-----------------------------
=> Atlantis & the Atlantic Ocean
=> Atlantis: Theories & Speculation
=> Plato's Atlantis
=> the Scientific Atlantis
=> Geology & Atlantis
=> Atlantis & the New Age
=> Atlantis in the Media
-----------------------------
Satellite Discoveries & Alternate Archaeology
-----------------------------
=> Alternate Archaeology
=> Satellite Discoveries & Aerial Archaeology
=> the Bock Saga
-----------------------------
Maps, Explorers & Adventurers
-----------------------------
=> the Oceans
=> Islands
=> the Bahamas, Bermuda, Cuba & the West Indies
=> Explorers & Adventurers
=> Maps, Cartographers & Cartography
-----------------------------
Egypt & the Pyramids
-----------------------------
=> Gods of Egypt
=> Egypt & the Pyramids
=> the Giza Complex
=> the Dynasties of Egypt
=> Egypt: Latest Discoveries
-----------------------------
the Guanches, Basques, Berbers & Sea People
-----------------------------
=> Guanches, Basques & Berbers
=> Pirates, Phantom Islands & Stories of the Sea
=> the Sea People
-----------------------------
the Ancient World
-----------------------------
=> Neolithic Europe
=> Stonehenge & the Druids
=> the Library of Alexandria, Ancient Historians & Philosophers
=> Ancient Warfare
=> the Spartans
-----------------------------
the Dawn of Civilization
-----------------------------
=> Africa, the Cradle of Life
=> China & the Asian Empires
=> Eastern Mysticism, India, & the Ancient Far East
=> Zoroastrianism, Arabia & the Near East
=> the Sumerians
=> Ancient Asia Minor
=> Hawaii, Australia, Alaska & the Pacific Rim
-----------------------------
Ancient Mediterranean Cultures
-----------------------------
=> Minoan Crete
=> Phoenicians & Carthage
=> Mediterranean Islands
=> Israelities & the Kabbalah
=> Etruscans
=> Ancient Greece
=> Rome: Empire & Republic
-----------------------------
Ancient European Cultures
-----------------------------
=> The Picts & Celts
=> Ireland: History & Myths
=> Balkan History
=> Italy & Magna Graecia
=> the Vikings & Scandinavia
=> Germanic History
-----------------------------
Timelines of Ancient Europe
-----------------------------
=> History of Britain
=> Scotland: in History & Lore
=> Continental Europe: Past & Present
=> the Dark Ages
=> the Medieval World
=> The Renaissance
-----------------------------
the Ancient Americas
-----------------------------
=> the Ancient Americas
=> Peru: Mysteries & Prehistory
=> Mesoamerican & South American Cultures
===> Aztec
===> Incan
===> Olmec
===> Toltec & Teotihuacan
=> Mayan
=> Native American
=> Canada: Past & Present
-----------------------------
The Crusades, Templars & the Holy Grail
-----------------------------
=> the Crusades
=> the Knights Templar
=> The Holy Grail & Christian artifacts
=> The Sacred Feminine, the Cathars & Gnosticism
=> the Da Vinci Code
-----------------------------
Ancient Mysteries
-----------------------------
=> Philosophy
=> Ancient Mysteries
=> Lemuria, Mu & other sunken civilizations
=> Easter Island
=> Oak Island
-----------------------------
Archaeology & Anthropology
-----------------------------
=> Museums & Universities
=> Archaeology
=> Ancient Languages
=> Archaeological News
=> Underwater Archaeology
-----------------------------
Ancient Knowledge, Mysticism & Sacred Beliefs
-----------------------------
=> Ley Lines, Ancient Astronomy & Archeoastronomy
=> Prophecy, 2012, End Times & the End of the World
=> Sacred Symbols
=> The Ancient Arts: Astrology, Alchemy, the Tarot, Arcane Recondite Practices & the I Ching
-----------------------------
Search for the Sacred
-----------------------------
=> Angels & Angelology
=> Goddess Worship
=> Search for the Sacred
=> World Religions
=> the Urantia Book
=> Wicca, Witchcraft, Paganism & Ritual Magic
-----------------------------
Health & Healing
-----------------------------
=> Health, Healing & Medical News
=> Human Biology
=> Love & Relationships
=> Women's Studies
-----------------------------
Science & Technology
-----------------------------
=> Science, Physics & Technology
=> History of Science
=> Evolution vs. Intelligent Design
=> Human Genetics
-----------------------------
Earth Changes
-----------------------------
=> Earth Changes
=> Global Warming
=> Botany & Plant Life
===> Plants of the Americas that Changed the World
=> Antarctica & the Arctic
-----------------------------
Space
-----------------------------
=> NASA
=> Mars, the Red Planet
=> Life on Other Worlds
=> the Universe
=> Images from Space
-----------------------------
UFOs, Aliens & Future Science
-----------------------------
=> UFO's
=> Aliens & Alien Abduction
=> UFO Evidence & in the Media
=> Alternate History & Multiverses
=> Future Science
=> Time Travel
-----------------------------
the Occult
-----------------------------
=> Ghosts & Apparitions
=> Communicating with the Dead
=> Paranormal Events, Reincarnation & Near Death Experiences
=> the Enchanted World
=> the Supernatural
=> the Occult
-----------------------------
the Unexplained
-----------------------------
=> Cryptozoology
=> Bigfoot Sightings
=> the Unexplained
=> the Hollow Earth, Crop Circles, Strange Structures & Devices
=> Vanishings & Unsolved Murders
-----------------------------
Science Fiction & Fantasy
-----------------------------
=> Lord of the Rings
=> Science Fiction
=> King Kong, Gigantopithecus & the Mountain Gorilla
=> Godzilla, King of Monsters
=> Comic Books
===> Comic Book Creators
===> Videogames & Toys
-----------------------------
Halloween & Seasonal
-----------------------------
=> Halloween
=> Seasonal
=> Monsters of Myth, Movies & Folklore
=> Ghost Stories
=> the Zombie Apocalypse
-----------------------------
Genres of Film & Literature
-----------------------------
=> Universal Horror
=> H. P. Lovecraft
=> Horror
=> Dark Shadows
=> Twin Peaks
=> Online Horror Movies Sci-Fi & TV Series
-----------------------------
Arts & Literature
-----------------------------
=> Online Books & Research Papers
=> Classical Literature & Book Reviews
=> Art History
=> Architecture
=> Sculpture & Statuary
=> the Great Masters
=> Music
-----------------------------
Media & Film
-----------------------------
=> Cinema
=> the History of Film
=> Marilyn Monroe
=> Actresses & Models
=> Entertainment News
-----------------------------
Modern Historical Mysteries
-----------------------------
=> American History
===> Presidents of the United States
=> the World Wars
===> the Great Depression
=> the Holocaust
=> the Middle East: Past & Present
=> Modern History
===> the Industrial Age
===> Civil Rights
=> Great Cities of the World
=> the Kennedys: Their History & Assasinations
=> New York City: Then & Now
-----------------------------
September 11th, 2001
-----------------------------
=> September 11th: Conspiracies, Cover-ups & Remembrance
=> The World Trade Center Remembered
===> Life of the Twin Towers
=> Modern Warfare
=> Environmental Disasters & Mass Tragedies
-----------------------------
Suppressed Knowledge
-----------------------------
=> New World Order
=> Conspiracies
=> Suppressed Knowledge
=> Media Matters
-----------------------------
Politics
-----------------------------
=> the Barack Obama Administration
=> Conservatives, Trump, & Republican Politics
=> Joe Biden, Democratic Politics & News
=> Tea Party, Constitution, Libertarian Parties & Ron Paul
=> Politics & News
-----------------------------
Current Events
-----------------------------
=> Current Events & Odd Stories
=> The World Today
=> Financial News & the Economy
===> The History of Labor
=> Breaking News
-----------------------------
General Category
-----------------------------
=> Opinions & Editorials
=> Cartoons, Humor & Comic Strips
=> Ecology, Pets & the Animal Kingdom
=> General & Miscellaneous
=> Sports
=> Computers & the Internet
-----------------------------
Art, Graphics & Creative Writing
-----------------------------
=> Fantasy Art & Graphics
=> Creative Writing
===> Horror Fiction
=> Poetry
=> Photography & Models
=> Earth Images
-----------------------------
Past Events
-----------------------------
=> Case for Bush Impeachment/War Crimes
===> Bush Administration Torture Scandal
=> Campaign 2008
=> Atlantis Online - Memorial & Biography
===> Atlantis Online - Old Posts
Powered by
EzPortal
Loading...