MER missions maybetogether with other balloon explorers

Space/Science » in reply to MSL is badly fouled up. We should mass produce MERs

Daniel — 2/29/2004 1:00:42 AM (archived)

..the original concept (as I remember it) was for instrument-laden balloons to float around large areas, doing imaging, radar, weather etc., then settling down to the surface at at night. The instruments (solar charge during the day) could then do surface studies until morning ..

The latest version is the Stratosail which suspends a stablising wing some miles below .. sounds already rather more complicated ..

The whole thread (18 posts)

NASAâ€™s Nuclear Focus Aimed At 2009 Mars Lander - Chris Vancil - 2/26/2004 10:50:39 PM
- getting there will be half the fun - Daniel - 2/27/2004 1:06:54 AM
  - Skycrane landing system - Buck Galaxy - 2/27/2004 4:59:30 AM
    - It was very difficult scaling an airbag solution up to MER-size - alcaray - 2/27/2004 3:43:26 PM
      - re: As we increase the resolution of features, interests in those features and time... - Chris Vancil - 2/27/2004 9:03:57 PM
    - testability ( - is that a word?) - Daniel - 2/27/2004 5:18:57 AM
      - The "bungee cord" is probably not testable on Earth - Gary - 2/28/2004 6:30:43 AM
        
        makes sense - Daniel - 2/28/2004 8:03:51 AM
        
        MSL is badly fouled up. We should mass produce MERs - Gary - 2/28/2004 5:47:27 PM
        
        MER hardware works, but terrain/environment limits - dtb - 3/1/2004 6:03:55 AM
        
        Cost drives conservative mission planning - Gary - 3/1/2004 5:12:17 PM
        
        re: Cost drives conservative mission planning - dtb - 3/1/2004 7:16:36 PM
        
        Yes, you're quite correct (n/t) - Gary - 3/2/2004 3:26:52 AM
        
        We still need to address C2 & communications limitations - Larry J - 2/29/2004 9:55:01 PM
        
        A different booster would be used. - Gary - 3/1/2004 5:20:57 PM
        
        A different C2 - Larry J - 3/1/2004 6:51:31 PM
        
        Yeah, different symbols - Gary - 3/2/2004 3:24:46 AM
        
        MER missions maybetogether with other balloon explorers - Daniel - 2/29/2004 1:00:42 AM

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