Article

2016-07-25 Science & Technology

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Besoeker 2016-07-25 14:29|| || Front Page|| [11132 views ] Top

#1 Neat.

Posted by swksvolFF 2016-07-25 15:07|| 2016-07-25 15:07|| Front Page Top

#2 I've always wondered why the bouncing ball. Wouldn't it be better to use a bit more fuel and control the descent to an exact spot? Or have an airbag that deflates immediately instead of bouncing, again so you land at an exact spot?

Posted by rjschwarz 2016-07-25 15:17|| 2016-07-25 15:17|| Front Page Top

#3 Or does the exact spot not matter because it's a rover.

Posted by rjschwarz 2016-07-25 15:17|| 2016-07-25 15:17|| Front Page Top

#4 Where's Marvin?

Posted by gorb 2016-07-25 15:19|| 2016-07-25 15:19|| Front Page Top

#5 Wouldn't it be better to use a bit more fuel and control the descent to an exact spot?

That's fuel you've to carry with you for 100,000,000 km, rjschwarz.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2016-07-25 15:29|| 2016-07-25 15:29|| Front Page Top

#6 I would think the bouncy ball was because they could not predict where the craft would land with any accuracy - unlike with the moon lander mars is a lot bigger and has an atmosphere which injects all sorts of variables. Also a 'controlled' landing is a lot more riskier than simply bouncing it. There isn't any ground control there and the link to earth is fragile - and includes a lag (6 or 7 minutes??)...

Also..Marvin the Martian still hasn't built that damn runway.

Posted by CrazyFool 2016-07-25 15:35|| 2016-07-25 15:35|| Front Page Top

#7 You can carry a massive amount of canvas and gas to inflate it with? Exchange that for an equal weight of fuel, that's what I'm saying.

Posted by rjschwarz 2016-07-25 15:54|| 2016-07-25 15:54|| Front Page Top

#8 And a huge list of discussions about how SpaceX is going to get big landers & people to Mars - not just the little NASA toys which are small enough to use parachutes and bouncing balls in the thin Martian air

Posted by 3dc 2016-07-25 16:54|| 2016-07-25 16:54|| Front Page Top

#9 This conference speech coming up, should tell you how SpaceX will go to Mars. Schedule for conference soon to happen in Mexico

Posted by 3dc 2016-07-25 17:13|| 2016-07-25 17:13|| Front Page Top

#10 https://www.iac2016.org/

Posted by 3dc 2016-07-25 17:25|| 2016-07-25 17:25|| Front Page Top

23:56 Canuckistan sniper
23:51 Woodrow Cleamble4011
23:50 Skidmark
23:48 newc
23:43 rammer
23:40 rammer
23:37 rammer
23:36 rammer
23:31 rammer
22:17 Procopius2k
22:00 Frank G
21:54 Zenobia Floger6220
21:10 newc
20:52 Blossom Unains5562
20:38 gorb
20:07 Pappy
19:54 phil_b
19:47 Barbara
19:41 Barbara
19:39 gorb
19:38 gorb
19:28 Blossom Unains5562
18:56 Besoeker
18:45 Flaitle and Company4533