NASA Developing Robotic Bees to Collect Samples, Map Mars Surface
NASA’s Mars rovers have gathered a lot of exciting data and photographs, but they’re moving at a snail’s pace. So how will it expedite that process? Robotic bees.
The space agency is developing bee-sized robots to map the surface of Mars and collect samples from the planet’s atmosphere. Scientists hope these insectoids will be more mobile and agile than traditional rovers.
The program, called “Marsbees,” is contracting researchers from the U.S. and Japan to build prototypes of winged robots, capable of swarming the red planet and collecting data, before returning to a rover to recharge.
One of the biggest obstacles engineers face is designing a robot that can fly in Mars’ unique climate. The red planet’s atmosphere can be pretty hostile with dust storms, low thermal inertia, and periodic ice ages. These bees will inevitably face some extreme weather conditions.
But there is one factor that may make the mission easier – Mars’ gravitational pull is about a third of Earth’s, which could prove to be more conducive to flight.
NASA’s website envisions the robots as roughly the size of a bee, but with larger, cicada-sized wings. Researchers imagine the bees will be capable of working independently or in teams to collect samples.
The program funding the project is called the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Program, or NIAC, which fosters science fiction concepts with the potential for realistic applications.
The aerial bots would primarily search for methane emissions from below the planet’s surface – an indication of subterranean Martian life. NASA’s Curiosity rover previously discovered low levels of the gas, encouraging scientists to explore further.
But the technology for this apian concept doesn’t have a lot of promising precedent. Several years ago, DARPA built a hummingbird-inspired drone, with a multi-million-dollar budget. Researchers engineered it to fly steadily, but the winged machine would likely struggle in the Martian environment.
Engineers working on the Marsbees prototype will test their robots in a vacuum chamber, with conditions to simulate the climate and air density on Mars. The group is receiving just $125,000 over the course of nine months to fund their prototype, before it will be tested for feasibility by NASA. If it passes preliminary tests, it will then be eligible for a second round of funding.
A Brief History of the Secret Space Program
Shrouded in mystery, the existence of the Secret Space Program is a closely guarded secret, but information from government whistleblowers, intelligence operatives and former astronauts have been surfacing for decades. Here are a few of the most notable events:
Flying Saucers Are Born
On June 24th, 1947, Kenneth Arnold was on a routine search for a missing plane that had gone down near Mt. Rainier in Washington state. The weather was clear and calm, and Arnold had just given up his search when he noticed a bright flash in one of the mirrors of his plane. He maneuvered to get a better look and was shocked to see a group of saucer-like objects flying in formation at incredible speed. He landed in Yakima, Washington and immediately relayed what he had seen. The next day, Arnold was interviewed about the incident, sparking a news sensation that spread across the US. The term “flying saucer” was born, and the country was soon gripped in a rash of UFO sightings. The military denied any involvement and speculation grew.
Roswell Captivates the World
Soon a report of another kind surfaced, this time coming from Roswell, New Mexico. It was rumored that a mysterious craft had crash-landed in the desert and that the bodies recovered were non-human. The US Air Force stated that the object was a weather balloon, but witnesses offered a different story, claiming materials recovered from the crash site exhibited incredible strength and durability, and that strange creature had been on board.