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NASA Has a Plan to Put Robot Bees on Mars
space.com ^
| April 5, 2018 10:54am ET
| Rafi Letzter, Live Science Staff Writer |
Posted on 04/05/2018 9:51:58 AM PDT by BenLurkin
It's in its early stages, but the idea is to replace modern rovers which are slow, bulky and very expensive with swarms of sensor-studded, fast-moving micro-bots that can cover much more ground at a relatively low cost.
Literally called Marsbees, the little bots are "flapping wing flyers of a bumblebee size with cicada-sized wings," NASA officials wrote.
The planet has just one-third of Earth's gravitational pull, offering the Marsbees an advantage despite the thin atmosphere.
Flapping-wing bots are pretty uncommon on Earth, the NASA statement noted, because rotary-wing bots like quadcopters are much more popular. But the flapping-wing design allows the team to integrate certain low-power, highly efficient technologies that will be important on the Red Planet, where the bots will have to return regularly to their home base to recharge.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: california; elonmusk; falcon9; falconheavy; marciebianco; mars; marsbees; nasa; robotbees; spacex; stanford
1
posted on
04/05/2018 9:51:59 AM PDT
by
BenLurkin
To: BenLurkin
Bees, excellent idea.
Nobody else will want to go to Mars because of the bees. And if they do.... They get the Winkler treatment...
2
posted on
04/05/2018 9:55:58 AM PDT
by
DannyTN
To: DannyTN
3
posted on
04/05/2018 9:58:59 AM PDT
by
LouieFisk
To: BenLurkin
Why not billboards and advertisements?
To: BenLurkin
Seriously?
Isn't the atmospheric pressure on Mars around 0.15 psi at "sea" level?
Not a lot of mass for a "bee" to become airborne on.
Unless NASA is counting on the windstorms.
To: Calvin Locke
Don’t send any wasps. It will get outta control.
6
posted on
04/05/2018 10:02:19 AM PDT
by
DIRTYSECRET
(urope. Why do they put up with this.)
To: BenLurkin
Illegal Immigrant Bees From Mars
7
posted on
04/05/2018 10:02:52 AM PDT
by
LouieFisk
8
posted on
04/05/2018 10:05:28 AM PDT
by
UCANSEE2
(Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
To: BenLurkin
9
posted on
04/05/2018 10:11:38 AM PDT
by
freedumb2003
(robert mueller is an unguided missile)
To: BenLurkin
Mars has only 1% of the earth atmosphere.
To get airborne they will need to fly at like Mach 3 or something, good luck.
10
posted on
04/05/2018 10:15:01 AM PDT
by
gaijin
To: BenLurkin
That’s a honey of an idea.....
11
posted on
04/05/2018 10:19:32 AM PDT
by
Donkey Odious
( Adapt, improvise, and overcome - now a motto for us all.)
To: BenLurkin
12
posted on
04/05/2018 10:30:47 AM PDT
by
I want the USA back
(Lying Media: willing and eager allies of the hate-America left. PS. f*ck the media.)
To: BenLurkin
Meanwhile Elon Musk will already be there with a 4WD quads that play rock music
13
posted on
04/05/2018 10:33:16 AM PDT
by
Mr. K
(No consequence of repealing Obamacare is worse than Obamacare itself.)
To: BenLurkin
But, what if the Martians have set up bee traps?
14
posted on
04/05/2018 10:54:15 AM PDT
by
Slyfox
(Not my circus, not my monkeys)
To: BenLurkin
What we really need is a geologist on Mars with a rock-hammer and a hand lens.
15
posted on
04/05/2018 11:03:18 AM PDT
by
onedoug
To: BenLurkin
Tonight's feature on Monster Chiller Horror Theater is
Robot Bees On Mars starring John Agar, Tor Johnson, Mamie Van Doren and Billy Barty.
To: Buckeye McFrog
17
posted on
04/05/2018 1:10:10 PM PDT
by
BenLurkin
(The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
To: SunkenCiv
18
posted on
04/05/2018 4:28:29 PM PDT
by
fieldmarshaldj
("It's Slappin' Time !")
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