CaltechAUTHORS
Published August 4, 2014 | Version public
Book Section - Chapter Metadata-only

Moball Network: A Self-Powered Intelligent Network of Controllable Spherical Mobile Sensors to Explore Solar Planets and Moons

Creators

  • 1. ROR icon Jet Propulsion Lab
  • 2. ROR icon California Institute of Technology
  • 3. ROR icon University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel planetary exploration system capable of functioning in most solar planets and moons. The Moball Network is an agile, self-powered, intelligent, and reconfigurable distributed in-situ exploratory system. We compare our proposed system with state of the art planetary exploration systems and concepts and suggest several novel mission architectures specifically for planetary bodies with an atmosphere such as Mars, or those whose surface includes lakes and ice sheets such as Titan or the Earth's northern and southern caps, as well as smaller bodies with no atmosphere such as the Moon or asteroids. We also describe the current development status of the system and the proof of concept for the ideas presented.

Additional Information

© 2014 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. The U.S. Government has a royalty-free license to exercise all rights under the copyright claimed herein for Governmental purposes. The research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Additional details

Identifiers

Eprint ID
97983
Resolver ID
CaltechAUTHORS:20190816-144342054

Funding

NASA/JPL/Caltech

Dates

Created
2019-08-16
Created from EPrint's datestamp field
Updated
2021-11-16
Created from EPrint's last_modified field

Caltech Custom Metadata

Other Numbering System Name
AIAA Paper
Other Numbering System Identifier
2014-4261