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A new way to explore the surface of Mars
Students from North Carolina State University (NCSU) are helping
NASA expand the exploration of the surface of Mars. The team of
students and researchers has designed a wind-powered rover that can
be blown, like tumbleweed, across the surface of the Red Planet
collecting atmospheric and geological samples at multiple
locations.
Media Opportunity: Members of the media are invited to attend a
demonstration of the Mars Tumbleweed rover at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday,
May 14, at the H.J.E. Reid Conference Center, 14 Langley Blvd.,
NASA Langley Research Center. Please contact Kimberly W. Land at
(757) 864-9885 or 344-8611 (mobile) for credentials.
In the Aerospace Design class at NCSU, the team of nine students
and their faculty advisor researched concept and prototype
development, studied wind tunnel testing, and performed actual
field-testing with the tumbleweed rover. The idea to study a "Mars
Tumbleweed" for the class project was initiated by team leader
David Minton, while working as an intern at NASA Langley Research
Center in the summer of 2002. "Interning at NASA was great. We got
to do some really exciting research," says Minton. His summer
experience paved the way for the student project topic.
The students studied how the tumbleweed harnesses the wind for
movement using its intricate lightweight branch structure. By
imitating the way the prairie plant operates in nature, the team
was able to apply their knowledge to designing the rover
concept.
The students constructed a prototype rover called the Tumbleweed
Earth Demonstrator (TED), scaled for use on Earth and based on NASA
Langley concepts. The student-built rover will aid the Mars
exploration effort at Langley, by providing preliminary data that
will influence future tumbleweed design concepts.
Current Mars rover models are very complex and expensive, and
their ability to traverse rough terrain is limited. Landing sites
must be carefully chosen to ensure the safety of the vehicle and
the ability to carry out the mission. Therefore, many
scientifically interesting Martian sites are now inaccessible.
A future mission scenario could disperse multiple Tumbleweed
rovers to roam the surface of Mars carrying instruments with unique
sensors to search for water or investigate climate. For more
information about the Mars Tumbleweed student project at NC State
University, visit:
http://www.mars-tumbleweed.org
For more information about the Mars exploration efforts at NASA
Langley, visit:
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