Hacker News Reader

That's basically the SLIM's LEV-2. Not a lander itself, but a small rover.

https://www.space.com/jaxa-slim-moon-lander-lev-2-ball-robot

There's also the method of dropping a ball of airbags that deflate and detach, so you aren't limited to being a ball.

I assume it's more efficient and versatile (lots of tools on these things) to not be a ball.

You basically want a small truck loaded with equipment and a solar panel on top.

isn't regolith microscopic and sharp? A sealed ball that rolls around is one thing, but wouldn't a non-sealed ball just get its motor shredded pretty quickly?

I remember reading before that given the consistency and weight of moon dust that electrostatic protection of assets is viable.

I guess the concept would be to surround the motors in a electrostatic force that results in propulsive removal of particulates away from the drivetrain.

I don't know if it has been practically used.

ah, nice tip!

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S00945...

Reply on news.ycombinator.com