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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]