http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/ Engadget Comments for NASA challenge searches for a solar-powered 'Night Rover' http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 7:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 8:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/
Put David Hasselhoff inside, he works cheap .... this is the world of the night rover....]]>Aug 17th 2010 8:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 8:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/
But seriously... if we can harvest sunlight, then in theory, can't we harvest moonlight...?
]]>Aug 17th 2010 9:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 9:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/...and because you can't harvest moonlight on the dark side of the moon.

It just doesn't work.]]>Aug 17th 2010 10:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/
Oh? I thought the Dark Side was the most powerful... Oh wait.]]>Aug 18th 2010 12:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/
Maybe we could try some of that Liquid Metal for the batteries?]]>Aug 17th 2010 7:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/You better bust out your copy of eagleCAD too, b/c I don't think the mechanical side of this thing is going to be the important part. ]]>Aug 17th 2010 8:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/
What do you know? I got a copy of Eagle CAD too!]]>Aug 17th 2010 9:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 7:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/ ]]>Aug 17th 2010 7:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 8:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 8:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/
Opportunity's onboard computer uses a 20 MHz RAD6000 CPU with 128 MB of DRAM, 3 MB of EEPROM, and 256 MB of flash memory

It may be a bad idea but the rovers are not powerhouses...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_rover#Design_and_construction]]>Aug 17th 2010 9:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/These chips need to be additionally protected from background space radiation! You can't just stick a Qualcomm cpu inside and see how it goes...]]>Aug 17th 2010 10:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 7:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 9:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/
$50,000?
Do you even know how cheap that is for NASA? They spent millions on a PEN!]]>Aug 17th 2010 10:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 18th 2010 3:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 18th 2010 9:17AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/
http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp]]>Aug 18th 2010 10:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 7:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/
I think the point is that it shouldn't have to return to the same point to recharge, but can keep traveling and working forever without having to stop or retrace its path.]]>Aug 18th 2010 2:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 7:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 8:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Giant Mirror in Space.
That way, you can always get access to the sun.

;)]]>Aug 17th 2010 8:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/
Night Ranger!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Night_Ranger_Sister_Christian.]]>Aug 17th 2010 8:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 8:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 8:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 8:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 8:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 8:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 8:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/
You missed a decimal point in there.

And what's someone gonna do on the moon? Collect rocks? Dig into rocks? Take photos of rocks? We already did that and Rovers can do that too.]]>Aug 17th 2010 9:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/
or how about a mirrors placed in orbit which can track the robots location and focus a beam of light to the robot over night?]]>Aug 17th 2010 9:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 9:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 9:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/It's been 6 years and maybe theyll still keep operating.

My point is that you could send a 75.000$ robot but there would be a risk of it failing. And the fact that those robots are so well-designed and nearly fail-prrof is shown by the fact tat they are still operational.]]>Aug 18th 2010 2:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/I agree, you wouldn't send the hardware that wins the contest. you would take the design and ruggedize it to NASA specs, but you would save massive time and money in the r&d phase. That's what costs the most, paying all the contractors to help develop new tech.]]>Aug 18th 2010 8:28AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 9:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 9:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/
...I hate Froyo...and I don't even know what it is! ;)]]>Aug 17th 2010 9:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 9:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/
1. Rocket fuel
2. Thermite
3. Lunar Panels
4. Rover docking station.
5. Combustion engine fueled by moon dust.
6. Store the kinetic energy wasted during the flight to the moon.
7. Send a few prisoners from San Quentin and/or Guantanomo.
8. All the above.

I'll stop by NASA HQ tomorrow to pick up my check!]]>Aug 17th 2010 10:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/Aug 17th 2010 10:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/ But if that's unavailable, go with NASA's initial plan for 1980's rovers and lunar rockets and burn Silane from the surrounding regolith.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silane

Silane may be available on Mars as well as the moon.

Could also use a closed-cycle liquid ammonia engine, with a low boiling point (-28F) maybe use the fresnel concentrated light/heat from reflected earthshine(on the moon)?
]]>Aug 17th 2010 11:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/
Silane, assuming one can easily harvest it, is only half what is needed. I assume you are using a fuel cell, so we still need an oxidant. Mars perchlorate would work, but I don't know if any oxidant could be easily harvested on the moon. For all the weight & equipment needed you probably would need another device just to do all of that, which actually brings up a great point!

Why not have a base, charging station?

The little rover has a nice small battery that is used just for say a 2 day power supply. Every 2 days (or whatever) it goes to the little charging station & gets the batteries topped off. The charging station has nice big batteries, is stationary, & has big solar panels. It can be used by multiple rovers of different sizes and at any time of the day!

]]>Aug 17th 2010 11:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/nasa-challenge-searches-for-a-solar-powered-night-rover/
Dependence on stationary charging station would greatly limit the area a rover can explore. NASA wants to explore as much as possible, that's the whole idea.]]>Aug 18th 2010 7:44AM