An frosty globe can also be match for the level of technologies at NASA’s disposer. New Horizons flying by a number of objects throughout its over nine-year long mission is also an option. Yet, it does not deliver you as often statistics as Mars’s Curiosity Rover by way of example.
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Although many other things have to be taken into account as well, like the windbot’s aerodynamics, shape and sensors, it’s believed that all the team can learn while facing this enormous challenge could be applied much easier here on Earth’s violent storms. Independent of wings, motors and hot air balloons – the scientists call them “windbots”, or machines that can utilize the power of the wind in the solar system’s gas giants. The wind-powered probes are still in concept phase for now.
In this regard, scientists want to develop robots that can be powered by turbulence as wind will be a major impediment to any form of stability while in Jupiter’s atmosphere, so the best way to stay afloat is to use it. However, because wind on Jupiter changes speed and direction so violently, a way to profit from the energy caused by turbulence must be gathered. The award by NIAC would help bring windbots beyond this stage, with a prototype expected soon. A constant high wind velocity is useless.
NASA jet propulsion expert Adrian Stoica said: “It’s a spring of energy a probe could drink from”.
“A dandelion seed is great at staying airborne”. “It rotates as it falls, creating lift, which allows it to stay afloat for long time, carried by the wind”, explained Stoica.
The windbot idea was given $US100,000 in funding back in May, so that the team at JPL can explore the idea further. For now, there are many unknown variables.
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The windbot research project is part of NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts program, which is aimed at researching and developing creative methods of data collection and exploration.
