A closer look at NASA's electric lunar rover
By Laura June 
posted January 23rd 2009 6:49PM
posted January 23rd 2009 6:49PM
[Thanks, Cade]
posted January 23rd 2009 6:49PM
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Those suits are clearly made for chimpanzees. Lucky it's running Windows XP.
#1 Those things have "pyramid penis"
#2 Would it not be more logical to make a "spacecraft" capable of VTOL that could deploy and pickup a rover? Or, a spacecraft that could be piloted around, landed to collect samples and then make its way back into orbit?
Something like a Starfury or a Dropship?
You could keep in in Earth Orbit, docked with the ISS and refuel it using rockets from earth carrying fuel. Possibly able to serve as a lifeboat if the ISS was ever damaged to the point of imminent destruction.
@Flashpoint
In answer to #2, no. The fuel costs would be completely cost prohibitive, especially since you'd have to drag all that fuel up from the Earth's surface.
with a big toilet looking thing attached to its back.
Those suits strapped to the front, remind me of that one scene in Mad Max, when those guys were strapped to the front of that vehicle.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/don_veto/mad_max/madmax.jpg
Do all astronauts have FUPA's?
So what happens if XP crashes or gets a virus?
Norton: Certified by the Space Foundation
If they aren't on the intertubes, they probably won't get a virus. Of course, the moon aliens may pull an independence day and hack it...
What is to stop someone with a pringles can mounted to their wifi antenna from haxing the rover?
I would really hope it's not still running XP when it launches in 2020
This is truly a technological marvel, but I can't be the only one wondering if our astronauts really are sporting prism-dicks.
It's to make better contact with aliens sporting prism-vaginas.
The penis is the driving force behind all space exploration. That moon is just one big, ol' pussy.
and some kick ass chuck taylors.
What no windows 7?
Nice to see that when things are really bad financially we are still putting $18B a year into this stuff.
I suppose we could be spending that on contraception for teenagers. Or on fighting marijuana. Or on a museum of organized crime in Nevada. Or on education for illegal immigrants. Or on bailing out poorly run banks.
Yeah seriously, why did we have to build this when we won't be going to the moon for 12 more years? If technology gets better over time, why are we constructing it now?
Are you serious? Didn't it cross your mind that the entire reason it won't be for 12 years is to allow time to design and build the spacecraft?
those asstrounauts look pretty flaccid, does 0 gravity do that to you, if so I'm canceling my orbit trip
Either people will bitch about it not having Mac OS X or will be all "Suck on that, Apple!"
Me, I'm just surprised that such an organization doesn't use GNU/Linux or some other Unix variant.
NASA uses Linux, but I gues not in the Lunar Rovers.
Don't worry - Now that Obama is in office, they'll have to switch to OS
Well, it's not Vista, anyhow; did you expect a pirated beta of NT7?
NASA uses and used every OS ever made I think, OS/2, amigaOS, w95, linux, XP, and some you have never heard of, and home-written ones too for their 8bit systems.
I hope that isn't the production model. To think I travelled all the way to the moon and had to stand on the back of this thing and not get to walk on it would just utterly piss me off.
"Dr. Smith, bring the Chariot around..."
so what's the point of the two dudes slouching in the back? seems like they can't move, they may as well just be sitting in comfy chairs inside the thing.
It's something that NASA's recently developed called a "suitlock," an alternative to an airlock. The astronaut can crawl into the suit and detach/reattach directly, instead of having to construct a huge airlock and risk getting hazardous lunar dusk inside the living area. In this video you can see one of the astronauts detach from the suitlock, wave around a flag, and then march ahead of the rover:
http://www.nasawatch.com/archives/2009/01/todays_video_na_5.html
It's something NASA recently developed called a "suitlock," an updated version of the old-school airlock. Astronauts can climb directly into the suits and detach/reattach, instead of having to place the entire suit into a huge airlock and risk getting hazardous lunar dust inside the living area. In this video you can see one of the astronauts detaching from the suitlock, waving a flag, and then marching off with it:
http://www.nasawatch.com/archives/2009/01/todays_video_na_5.html
That's how you'd suit up. The life support pack goes right over the spot you get in at, sealing up the suit.
I think the point of the suits in the back is, while the rover is rocked to the lander/base 2 astronauts can get into the rover with out a suit on (no room to move around inside the rover with suits on). They then drive the rover, several miles from the lander/base. Once they get to their work site they hop into the suits, which disconnect from the rover and get to work at the work site, off of the rover. Sort of a neat idea I think.
Wow, I wonder what happens if you fart in one of those things?
Those there are some mighty fine and well-insulated codpieces. Man, Neil Armstrong really missed out on some cutting edge tech.
XP - a better the devil you know philosophy, I suspect...
That "step-in-the-suits" idea is pretty cool (and, I'm sure, essential for such a mobile transport in which every bit of oxygen counts).
Looks pretty cramped, though. Imagine having to sit in the cockpit, looking out at the lunar terrain, nowhere to go, while your vehicle-mate is taking a smelly shit behind you.
Didn't they have step-in suits in 2001-a space odyssy, a movie from 1968?
Whoa, in the future Depends are worn on the outside.
NASA means business with their chasity belt refresh.
first guy trying to get into those suits and slips, ripping off the door , kiss all their asses goodbye
Wouldn't low gravity also mean low slippage?
test
It's a cool toy and all, but what do they really expect to find on the moon that they didn't the last time we were there? I know we've developed a lot of really beneficial technology in the space race, but these days I would think there's better uses for the vast expense than sending humans back to a desolate place we've already explored.
I agree, I want to know whats beyond out Solar System, not whats in it. All we have is a bunch of lifeless planets.
I think part of the reason for going to the moon is to test out equipment and methods before going to Mars. Also they can do all sorts of science that can't be done on Earth, or in orbit around Earth. I too would like to know what's beyond our solar system, this is just a first step so to speak.
Clearly someone at NASA is a fan of The Road Warrior...
I think I have that same white grab bar in my bathroom.
formidable
What is up with the penis nubs?
StarCraft + Electric Lunar Rover = Instant Win