NASA Rolls Out Lunar Hot Rod

check this out. the thing's a monstrosity! i'd expect a little more futuristic looking.

Lunar Hot Rod

couldn't they just use the old one that was left up there from previous missions? LOL

Well would you rather it looked cool or got the job done?

Engineers don't care what something looks like. Only thing they care about is that it works and is capable of doing the job its intended for.

Thanks for the reply disgustipated and zarlaan. I understand what you're saying. I just wanted to share the story and thought it funny that the vehicle wasn't what I expected it to look like...

Wow..lots of bling bling on that sled!! Gold everywhere.

I bet it would be a blast to go full throttle on the moon with that thing.

That just cracked me up! The title to your thread struck my funny bone and then the link!

It looks more like a MoonRover Party Barge !!!

If we aren't going "back" to the moon until 2020, why were they given only 12 months to make a new rover. Wouldn't you think it would make sense to take some time and not put a deadline on it?

i think they need to put an M3 suspension on that thing. honestly why do they need to go up to 15 mph when Schmitt says that anything faster than 8 mph makes the thing bounce up and down to much (hence the need for an M3 suspension). it is pretty cool though I would definitely drive it around, especially with all that gold

raptor

Don't know about the M3 suspension ... 5 kids just died in an M3 locally.


Why the fancy rims? I mean, they have a style to them, not just basic stuff. Cool it can crab walk

I guess the moon has a bit of gravity by what that article implies.

Originally posted by gauncents
If we aren't going "back" to the moon until 2020, why were they given only 12 months to make a new rover. Wouldn't you think it would make sense to take some time and not put a deadline on it?

This is not the finished product, but a "concept vehicle" or "testbed" for testing the technology and ideas that may go in to the actual rover when they build it. It's like one of those strange concept cars that the automakers build -- they are not meant for production, just to test ideas.

Here is a more recent article on the "concept" lunar rover testbed:

www.nasa.gov...

reply to post by titan722


Lol, exactly what i thought when i first saw it. 1970's monstrosity even, what a hordly vehicle.

To impress me on this it would need a set of wheels right down the middle of the undercarriage for better stability and to protect the drive train/guts of the machine from Moon Rocks, Green Cheese and Martians.
But I do love the Gold Trim Option - a little gaudy, but necessary. If its available for (and on) my Impala, it's good enough for NASA.
Seriously though, it's cool...but can't the driver sit? Give the man a bucket seat!

What a friggin joke it probably cost 7000000 billion dollars or whatever# they made up. Doesn't look like an all terrain vehicle? designed to carry payload maybe? Looks more like the Jolly Green Giant's skateboard, or a mechanics floor creeper with a midget on it!Oh I just fell out of my chair.
Maybe they should employ people who actually know how to build stuff instead of engineers and theorists.