SpotMini concept is a likely candidate for future planetary exploration missions. I predict Mars Rover 2030 mission will borrow a lot from the SpotMini design.
~ dj
Video credit: Boston Dynamics
Archive for the Robotic Exploration category
ESA dixit:
“An expedition of astronauts, planetary scientists and engineers test equipment for space exploration in Spain’s Canary Island of Lanzarote, also known as the island of a thousand volcanoes. Pangaea-X is a test campaign that brings together geology, high-tech survey equipment and space exploration. For five days in November 2017, the course mobilizes 50 people, four space agencies and 18 organisations in five different locations.The crew is testing instrumentation, navigation, remote sensing, 3D imaging and geoscience equipment. The volcanic features of Lanzarote make it a unique setting with many geological similarities to the Moon and Mars.”
Video credit: ESA
Planetary Resources dixit:
“We are underway with the development of Planetary Resources’ next spacecraft platform – the Arkyd-301. Our latest completed spacecraft, the Arkyd-6, has helped create the technical framework for Arkyd-301. We expect to learn more once our Arkyd-6 spacecraft launches and enters into operation in early 2018.
After Arkyd-6 launches, we enter our initial operations phase in which we will access all of its critical functions such as power generation, power storage, two-way communication, attitude determination, attitude control, and instrument operation. The continued operation of Arkyd-6 will include comparing its on-orbit performance with predicted behaviors and will further validate and inform our company’s design philosophies for Arkyd-301.
One of the things that we are most excited about is our onboard mid-wave infrared imager, which will not only be able to produce interesting images of our planet but also generate valuable scientific data. Enormous effort and careful radiometric calibration will allow us to assign a physical value to each and every pixel. We are maturing this remote sensing capability for use on the Arkyd-301 platform with a more advanced scientific imager that will enable the collection of calibrated spectral data for use in detecting water signatures on other planetary bodies.
The lessons that we continue to learn from the development and operation of Arkyd-6 will help us move closer to our goal of providing in-space resources to fuel industry and sustain life beyond Earth.”
Video credit: Planetary Resources
Planetary Resources dixit:
“The Arkyd-6 spacecraft not only tests our core technologies, but also tests how we work together as a team. In this video, our Director of Systems Engineering Brian Douglas describes the design and engineering philosophies that worked really well for us when building Arkyd-6.
Using components that were not originally designed for space, innovating where it makes sense, and having a single owner from a hardware’s inception to its operation are some philosophies that we will continue to build upon as we design the Arkyd-301 spacecraft. ​”
Video credit: Planetary Resources
NASA dixit:
“Peer over the shoulders of our engineers as they build hardware for NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. This 360 video transports you to the historic Spacecraft Assembly Facility at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Engineer Emily Howard narrates as you walk around the cruise stage, which will fly the 2020 rover to the Red Planet, and the descent stage, which will lower the rover to the Martian surface.”
Video credit: NASA
NASA dixit:
“In just a couple of years, NASA’s newest rover will be flying to Mars. The Mars 2020 mission will use the next generation of science and landing technology to collect rock samples for possible return by a future mission.”
Video credit: NASA
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