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Image Courtesy of the Shanghai Daily
China is working on an atomic-powered rover for the nation's first unmanned mission to the moon

The Chinese space program hopes to use an atomic-powered lunar rover when the nation launches its first unmanned mission to the moon in 2012. The Shanghai Aerospace System Engineering Institute has been working on the six-wheeled, atomic-powered vehicle for four years, going as far as testing the rover in a laboratory that simulates the lunar surface.  The lunar rover was debuted in Shanghai during a China-UK Workshop on Space Science and Technology several days ago.

Researchers hope the 5-foot high, 440-pound rover is able to transmit video feeds back to Earth, along with digging and collecting soil samples, and producing accurate three dimensional images of the moon's surface.  The rover will be able to travel up to 328 feet per hour while climbing slopes and overcoming barriers.

The Chinese rover appears to be very similar to Spirit and Opportunity, NASA's unmanned rovers currently exploring Mars.  However, the Spirit and Opportunity are currently operated on rechargeable lithium ion batteries, the Chinese rover will be nuclear powered.  

"We want to make it better than the early US and Russian rovers," said Luo Jian, Shanghai Aerospace System Engineering Institute director.

Researchers are still working on fine tuning the rover's ability to handle the type of environment it will have to handle on the moon -- low gravity, temperature extremes and cosmic rays included.

China has ambitious plans for the country's space exploration program -- a deal between China and Russia to jointly study Mars was announced last week.  NASA also admitted that it is likely China will reach the moon before the U.S. returns.

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Funny
By creathir on 4/2/2007 2:11:25 PM , Rating: 5
The US is not allowed to use nuclear powered spacecraft, for fear of harming the environment...

But the Chinese will probably not be repremanded for their actions. And even if they were, why would they care?

Why should we CARE?

This business of bending over everytime a liberal group finds SOMETHING wrong with our approach is really starting to grate on me...

Nuclear powered spacecraft are the way of the future... yet everytime someone mentions it... 10,000 little groups scream and hollar...

Makes me sick...

- Creathir




RE: Funny
By Mitch101 on 4/2/2007 2:16:05 PM , Rating: 2
That is funny because space is filled with Radiation so everything has already been exposed at some point.


RE: Funny
By creathir on 4/2/2007 2:18:50 PM , Rating: 2
Well, their concern is that during liftoff, it will crash and destroy ozone or some nonsense like that.

- Creathir


RE: Funny
By Anonymous Freak on 4/2/2007 3:22:45 PM , Rating: 3
No, the fear is that on launch, it will break up and radioactive debris will waft through the upper atmosphere before being spread all over the planet. The threat is very real.

Of course, the five or so pounds of Plutonium that will be used won't make much of a difference compared to the standard radiation we all experience every day. While the THREAT may be real, the REACTION is a bit much. It's not like it will cause Chernobyl-level radioactivity over a large area. At WORST, a square mile or so around the crash site will be ALMOST as bad as Chernobyl, and living a couple miles away will be the equivalent of living at high altitude.


RE: Funny
By creathir on 4/2/07, Rating: 0
RE: Funny
By Ringold on 4/2/2007 5:29:41 PM , Rating: 3
America isn't banned from using the technology. It just requires a certain amount of collective strength located in the nations spine. And riot police with sturdy bats and tear gas to bash rioting hippies with. We have none of the former and not enough of the latter.


RE: Funny
By masher2 (blog) on 4/2/2007 5:31:22 PM , Rating: 2
> " it will break up and radioactive debris will waft through the upper atmosphere before being spread all over the planet..."

The radioisotopes in an RTG are typically installed in ceramic bricks, then encased in multiple layers of graphite. In case of an accident, they don't disintegrate, but rather shatter into a few large pieces and fall to earth. They're also primarily alpha emitters which means that, unless you find a piece and decide to swallow it, your risk is essentially zero. You could carry a piece around in your pocket for a few years, and not get a dangerous dose.


RE: Funny
By threepac3 on 4/2/2007 4:32:53 PM , Rating: 1
The reason they are so fearful is because an event such as this occurecd already.


RE: Funny
By Ringold on 4/2/2007 5:30:45 PM , Rating: 1
I must've missed the millions that died or the billions in damage.


RE: Funny
By defter on 4/2/2007 2:17:21 PM , Rating: 2
I recall that at least long range probes that NASA has sent are actually nuclear powered. Probably also a lot of other probes use nuclear power. How can you have a probe operate for decades without a nuclear power?


RE: Funny
By masher2 (blog) on 4/2/2007 2:50:27 PM , Rating: 4
A long-range probe pretty much has to be powered by a radiothermal generator (RTG). Probes nearer the sun can operate from solar power, but thats really not feasible past the orbit of Jupiter. Probes such as Cassini (Saturn) and New Horizons (Pluto) use RTGs....though environmental groups all demonstrate wildly whenever one of these is launched.


RE: Funny
By creathir on 4/2/07, Rating: 0
RE: Funny
By CheesePoofs on 4/2/2007 9:28:29 PM , Rating: 2
Yep. The recent New Horizons mission to Pluto was powered my a RTG, I'm pretty sure, and there has been talk of powering one of the upcoming mars missions with nuclear power. So we certainly do use it, there are just silly people who decide to protest every time (although I remember hearing that only 20 or so showed up for the New Horizons protest).


RE: Funny
By goz314 on 4/2/2007 8:03:31 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
The US is not allowed to use nuclear powered spacecraft, for fear of harming the environment...


Let the radical environmentalists whine all they want. It won't change NASA's policy with respect to RTG-based cells that provide power on probes. :)

The US doesn't have a ban on using nuclear batteries for spacecraft. Rather, I think the opposite is the case. Most recently the RTG-based New Horizons probe sent to study Pluto was launched last year. NASA's next rover mission to Mars in 2009, MSL, will use an RTG for electrical power, and the Martian sample return mission following that will likely use one too. So, I think it's safe to say that NASA has embraced the technology and has a fine track record of safety surrounding it. Don't spread FUD suggesting otherwise.

Consequently, the way I view this announcement the Chinese can play around on the moon with their "borrowed" technology all they want. That won't stop the US and other western nations from launching more rounds of follow-up missions that continually push the envelope of space exploration and lead the way for expanded scientific investigations of the solar system and beyond.


Made in China
By Mitch101 on 4/2/2007 2:14:37 PM , Rating: 1
Im Betting:

China Rover = $50.00 made by a handfull of guys who took apart a kids remote control car and added a few things over a weekend. You can crash those remote control cars and they still work.

USA Rover = $Billions redesigned and manufactured with the highest quality components cast from rare metals from a totally revolutionary design as scientists spent years developing. And built 2 of them at that crazy cost. The moment it lands it loses contact with the NASA because a 5 cent part is missed, broken, or someone uploaded the wrong program before launch.

Of course I have no data to support those claims.




RE: Made in China
By Misty Dingos on 4/2/2007 2:32:57 PM , Rating: 5
Counter Bet:

China Rover = $1,000.00 made by a handful of guys who used stolen plans and data from the USA.

USA Rover = $100,000,000.00 After years of research and cost over runs (and maybe a little political pocket lining). Built by NASA engineers, working for $75,000 a year. Wishing that they were working for a toy company making RC cars and making $150,000. One engineer in the group giggling at the other NASA engineers because he has a Chinese funded retirement plan.

Of course I don't have any information to support these claims either.


RE: Made in China
By Scorpion on 4/2/2007 3:18:22 PM , Rating: 3
I do think you are onto something...

Boy their Rover sure does look an awful lot like ours... I wonder where they got all of their ideas? Sure I understand the point of "Why mess with something that works?" But they have to admit that they are standing on the shoulder of giants. And by giants, I mean us. We've done all of the hard work, and no one should ever forget that.

quote:
"We want to make it better than the early US and Russian rovers,"

I wish he would have defined "early". The earliest Rover was done in the 70s by the russians, so I'm not real sure what's he's comparing here.


RE: Made in China
By JackPack on 4/2/2007 5:55:37 PM , Rating: 3
ROFL. Were you expecting the Chinese rover to have 3 wheels and underbody neon lights?

These are engineers, not fashion designers. They design things based on the laws of physics. Similar performance requirements are going to end up with similar design proposals.

Based on your thinking, the F-15 would have been a copy of the MiG-25. And the F-35's VTOL system was copied from the Yak-41.


RE: Made in China
By Grast on 4/2/2007 4:32:17 PM , Rating: 1
Misty,

Do not bet, NASA research is not clasified. I have a friend which works as a contractor for NASA. The plans for both rovers are easily available. It is completely reasonable the Chinese have aquired these plans. It is much easier and cheaper to copy a proven design rather then starting from scratch.

Plus when is the last time an original design or idea came out of China.

later...


RE: Made in China
By Ringold on 4/2/07, Rating: -1
RE: Made in China
By JackPack on 4/2/2007 5:58:09 PM , Rating: 2
Why blame China when it's America that doesn't properly safeguard its secrets? The CIA and NSA exist for a reason. If those agencies aren't doing their job, blame them. The world isn't a utopia nor is espionage anything new.