How to build a scaled-down version of Curiosity, all by yourself!
JPL has released open-source plans for building a scaled down version of the rover Curiosity at a total cost of only $2,500.
This project is a successor to an earlier educational rover model called “ROV-E,” which received positive responses in schools and museums, NASA said. The Open Source Rover offers a more affordable, less complicated model, and according to agency officials, people can assemble the new model with off-the-shelf parts for about $2,500.
“While the OSR [Open Source Rover] instructions are quite detailed, they still allow the builder the option of making their own design choices,” JPL officials said. “For example, builders can decide what controllers to use, weigh the trade-offs of adding USB cameras or solar panels and even attach science payloads. The baseline design of OSR … will allow users to choose how they want to customize and add to their rover, touching on multiple hardware and software principles along the way.”
I wonder how heavy a home-built rover would be, and whether it could be launched on a Falcon Heavy to Mars.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
JPL has released open-source plans for building a scaled down version of the rover Curiosity at a total cost of only $2,500.
This project is a successor to an earlier educational rover model called “ROV-E,” which received positive responses in schools and museums, NASA said. The Open Source Rover offers a more affordable, less complicated model, and according to agency officials, people can assemble the new model with off-the-shelf parts for about $2,500.
“While the OSR [Open Source Rover] instructions are quite detailed, they still allow the builder the option of making their own design choices,” JPL officials said. “For example, builders can decide what controllers to use, weigh the trade-offs of adding USB cameras or solar panels and even attach science payloads. The baseline design of OSR … will allow users to choose how they want to customize and add to their rover, touching on multiple hardware and software principles along the way.”
I wonder how heavy a home-built rover would be, and whether it could be launched on a Falcon Heavy to Mars.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
“I wonder how heavy a home-built rover would be, and whether it could be launched on a Falcon Heavy to Mars.”
That’s just what I was think as I read the article, “Why limit it to Earth?”
And not just Mars, why not Luna?
I wonder if it would have that laser zapping spectrometer. Off the shelf. I hope it works on my Wifi so I don’t need a 30 meter diameter radio dish to communicate with it.
Just the little problem of adequate power to propel a large rover on Mars. Presuming you cannot acquired a RTG unit with Pu238.
Also until the folks from Hawthorne starts their Martian excursions. There is the maximum limit of about 900 kg for a lander and rover combo landing on Mars. Due to current NASA’s current Mars Entry, Descend & Landing method of aerobraking, supersonic parachute & whatever terminal deceleration option.
So even the Falcon 9 or most Atlas V variants is over-qualified for sending a rover to the surface of Mars with the current NASA EDL method which requires a payload capacity of about 2.5 tonnes.
I was looking at another car, but . . .