Since landing on Mars in January of 2004, NASA’s traditional Red Planet rovers have driven just under 20 miles across the surface. MIT graduate students working with Draper Laboratory believe their invention could meet that milestone in a matter of hours.

The concept is a robot that hops instead of drives. The idea would allow it to overcome the planet’s rocky surface in giant propelled leaps, which could fling the vehicle miles at a time.

It’s further along than just a concept though. The laboratory is testing methods for lift, manoeuvre and landing, in a testbed that simulates the planet’s gravity. The vehicle uses a cold-gas control system to fire itself in the air and steer its course. Work on creating an effective landing system is currently underway.

The biggest concern for its creators is fuel. While the rovers work on small, lightweight batteries charged via solar panels, the hopping design would require some more traditional fuel to power its giant leaps.

The same team also has its eye on the moon. Draper Laboratory has plans to enter the design into Google’s Lunar X Prize, a $30 million (£18 million) prize challenge that has privately-funded teams attempting to launch vehicles and robots to the moon. To qualify for the hefty prize bucket, the creation must then travel across the satellite’s surface, sending images and data back to Earth.

NASA’s first rover, Spirit, is stuck in soft soil, but its twin brother Opportunity is still going (at a top speed of two inches per second), and is on its way to the Endeavour crater. Curiosity, the agency’s third rover, is planned to deploy on the planet next year.

Image: Draper Laboratory

Source: Wired.co.uk

See Also:

• Where Will Next Mars Rover Land?
• The Future of Autonomous Mars Rovers
• Exotic New Mars Images From Orbiting Telephoto Studio
• Strange Places on Mars: What Do You Want to See Next?
• Mars Farming Gets Green Thumbs-Up

Authors: Mark Brown, Wired UK

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