'Smart dust' to explore planets

'Smart dust' to explore planets

news.bbc.co.uk

Tiny "smart" devices that can be borne on the wind like dust particles could be carried in space probes to explore other planets, UK engineers say.

The devices would consist of a computer chip covered by a plastic sheath that can change shape when a voltage is applied, enabling it to be steered.

Smart dust could be packed into the nose cones of planetary probes and then released into the atmospheres of planets, where they would be carried on the wind. For a planet like Mars, smart dust particles would each have to be the size of a grain of sand.

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This seems like a great way to avoid sending humans to do the grunt work of exploring far away planets.

With these advances, one will be able to gain far more information and data than ever before with the now seemingly antiquated space probes.

Just imagine if the Mars rovers had this smart dust onboard. We would have such a wealth of knowledge compared to what we currently know right now.

How far can this technology be taken?

news.bbc.co.uk
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at this point in time, this is not technologically possible. by the time it is feasible, it would probably be a better investment to send a human.