Re:Tumbleweed rover tests demonstrate technology for low-cos...
by IAmBroom on Thursday October 09, 2025 @04:59PM
(#45533022)
Mars gravity is 38% of Earth's.
The force caused by the wind acting on the rovers are 50% of Mars, if you are correct, so I'd expect twice the "sail" force pushing the CG of the rover versus its current contact "point" on Mars as in the experiment. 2/0.38 = 2.5x the moving force. When the CG is pushed forward, the whole thing rotates, and the rover advances to a new contact point.
Of course, we're talking about things like wind velocity and surface texture as "constants" here, but yeah: the thing should move.
The force caused by the wind acting on the rovers are 50% of Mars, if you are correct, so I'd expect twice the "sail" force pushing the CG of the rover versus its current contact "point" on Mars as in the experiment. 2/0.38 = 2.5x the moving force. When the CG is pushed forward, the whole thing rotates, and the rover advances to a new contact point.
Of course, we're talking about things like wind velocity and surface texture as "constants" here, but yeah: the thing should move.