Monthly Archives: August 2010
NASA backs commercial moonshots
By Alan Bolye MSNBC Cosmic Log August 6, 2010 Alan Boyle writes:NASA says it’ll buy up to $30.1 million worth of data about robotic lander projects – basically doubling the potential impact of the $30 million Google Lunar X Prize. The space agency said its Innovative Lunar Demonstrations Data program would pay a minimum of… {read more}
Astrobotic lander ramp deploys without using motors
One of the challenges in delivering a mobile robot to the Moon is getting it off the lander and down to the surface. The video below shows the conceptual design of a ramp that unfolds from the lander using only a preloaded spring for power. During flight, the mechanism is clamped in place using frangibolts,… {read more}
