Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!FC01@USC-ECL From: FC01%USC-ECL@sri-unix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.ai Subject: Re: Lunar Rovers Message-ID: <2581@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Tue, 21-Jun-83 08:36:00 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.2581 Posted: Tue Jun 21 08:36:00 1983 Date-Received: Wed, 29-Jun-83 05:12:59 EDT Lines: 15 A very good reason for using AI instead of hardware is that taking extra hardware to the moon is quite expensive. The weight of AI is nearly zero. In addition, the reliability of a system decreases with increased quantity of hardware, and thus the HW is kept to a minimum for that reason. The power required for extra hardware is nontrivial, and power is a critical factor in a space vehical. Communication delays to a system on the dark side of the moon are infinite (the signal never gets there). In a valley, the system may be obscured from earth signals for a short time, and therefore be lost until the moon rotates on its axis again, etc. [Orbiting repeaters could be used to eliminate most of the communications problems. The Space Digest has also carried a proposal for conducting the remote manipulations from orbital or lunar stations in order to reduce the response delay. -- KIL]