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Jan 19, 2009 05:23 PM | 3
Tomorrow's inaugural parade in Washington, D.C., will offer space buffs a glimpse into the future: NASA's next-generation moon vehicle, the Lunar Electric Rover (LER), will roll down Pennsylvania Avenue to honor the incoming prez.
The LER is a 12-wheeled concept vehicle designed to accommodate two astronauts for extended periods of lunar exploration. (The U.S. is tentatively aiming for a 2020 return to the moon, but that timeline will depend on the direction Barack Obama chooses to take with NASA.) The rover's cabin, which is equipped with bedding and sanitary areas, can support journeys of up to 14 days, and it is pressurized to allow for the astronauts to work without spacesuits.
According to a NASA press release, the LER will capture video of the inaugural parade with an onboard camera, and a member of the rover team will be reporting live via Twitter. Let's hope those tweets don't get bogged down by the wireless "traffic jam" that's expected as millions flock to the capital to witness the beginning of the historic new presidential administration.
Photo of LER in testing in Arizona courtesy of NASA
Tags:
NASA,
inauguration,
LER,
moon landing,
lunar electric rover,
inaugural parade,
moon rover,
Barack Obama
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3 Comments
Add CommentIn reply to Kidshare: Fortunately your comment is groundless; unfortunately it is also unkind. President Elect Obama not only supports NASA but has personally directed his staff’s attention to find way to increase the agencies funding. There are fewer Governmental agencies more embedded in high technology then NASA. Obama has made it clear high technology will be one of his primary areas of support; so why the quip? If you can accept the notion that all US citizens comprise one team battling the same primary economic and political challenges why not relax the tension and try to increase the team’s strength, rather then divide it and dissipate its effectiveness. As a Scientific America reader you are obviously a thoughtful person so please think about being part of the solution.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisQuite a large and heavy craft...May have some transport issues.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Pressurized" - oh, I'm so much relieved! Now if it only had termoprotection and radiation protection I'd be more certain that the "austroNOTs" will not be BBQ-ed in the first couple of hours (unless, of course, this is just a part of moviemaking equipment designed to "film on location" at Hollywood.
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