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My guess would be the latter. Ingenuity was primarily a technology demonstration whose failure wouldn't impact Perseverance's main objectives, so the risk was p
by DylanSp 3y ago
My guess would be the latter. Ingenuity was primarily a technology demonstration whose failure wouldn't impact Perseverance's main objectives, so the risk was probably acceptable.
As for launching several cheap, redundant probes - I think the biggest issue would be the cost of the scientific instruments. I don't have the background to know how much money could be saved you by using commercially available equipment. The basic scientific requirements might be too specialized for cheap commercial equivalents to exist, though maybe not; I really don't know.
- almostnormal 3y agoThe scientific instruments need to be mass-produced, too, of course. A 7-digit number of rovers would be extremly cheap per piece. Shipping would become a problem though.
- dtaht 3y agoHeh. I have long advocated that we attempt dozens of "Deep Impact" style missions against the NEOs - short mission lifetime, perhaps months from launch to impact, a high launch rate - would bring the cycle time from innovation to exploration way, way down.