Tumbleweed is a wind-propelled long-range vehicle based on well-developed and tested technology, instrumented to perform surveys Mars analog environments for habitability and suitable for a variety of missions on Mars. Tumbleweeds are light-weight and relatively inexpensive, making it very attractive for multiple deployments or piggy-backing on a larger mission. Tumbleweeds with rigid structures are also being developed for similar applications. Modeling and testing have shown that a 6 meter diameter Tumbleweed is capable of climbing 25 hills, traveling over 1 meter diameter boulders, and ranging over a thousand kilometers. Tumbleweeds have a potential payload capability of about 10 kilograms with approximately 10-20 Watts of power. Stopping for science investigations can also be accomplished using partial deflation or other braking mechanisms. Surveys for Astrobiology and other applications of tumbleweeds are shown.


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    Title :

    Tumbleweed: Wind-propelled Surficial Measurements for Astrobiology and Planetary Science


    Contributors:
    Kuhlman, K. R. (author) / Behar, A. E. (author) / Jones, J. A. (author) / Carsey, F. (author) / Coleman, M. (author) / Bearman, G. (author) / Buehler, M. (author) / Boston, P. J. (author) / McKay, C. P. (author) / Rothschild, L. (author)


    Publication date :

    2004-01-01


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




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