Article

2007-04-03 China-Japan-Koreas

China preparing atomic powered lunar rover.

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Posted by 3dc 2007-04-03 01:41|| || Front Page|| [11132 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 What I don't get is how you dissipate the heat. Maybe they'll surprise us and do something that Western scientists haven't managed all these years. My feeling is that this is another of those "if wishes were horses" type announcements.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2007-04-03 04:27|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2007-04-03 04:27|| Front Page Top

#2 However, unlike the rechargeable lithium ion batteries used by those rovers, the Chinese model will eventually run on a nuclear power source to ensure a constant energy supply, the report said.

They probably mean a radioisotopic power source.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator

Its a pretty old fashioned but fairly reliable method of powering spacecraft. Was also used to power a Predator recently I believe.

Posted by Valentine 2007-04-03 06:09|| 2007-04-03 06:09|| Front Page Top

#3 They'll be in Wal-Mart in time for the Christmas shopping season. $29.95, batteries not included.

Posted by Mike 2007-04-03 06:22|| 2007-04-03 06:22|| Front Page Top

#4 Batteries not needed.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2007-04-03 10:51|| 2007-04-03 10:51|| Front Page Top

#5 If you need to dissipate heat, it can be done with radiators, not the car type, but an apparatus that actually uses radiation transport. Varies as the 4th power of the temperature difference.

Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul 2007-04-03 11:03|| 2007-04-03 11:03|| Front Page Top

#6 The thing about heat is that on the moon, unlike the space station, heat will be drawn out into the ground fairly rapidly if you don't insulate the tires (say steel mesh instead of rubber as our lunar rover used).

Posted by rjschwarz 2007-04-03 13:38|| 2007-04-03 13:38|| Front Page Top

#7 Didn't the Soviet robotic rovers use metal tyres?

Posted by John Frum 2007-04-03 14:28|| 2007-04-03 14:28|| Front Page Top

#8 I'm not sure any Soviet stuff survived landing. I know everything they sent to Mars cratered and what they sent to Venus couldn't survive long enough to touch the surface. I dont' know about the moon.

Our own lunar buggie used in the later Apollo missions had metal tires.

Posted by rjschwarz 2007-04-03 17:29|| 2007-04-03 17:29|| Front Page Top

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