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Title: Tumbleweed: A New Paradigm for Surveying the Surface of Mars
Primary Author: Kimberly R. Kuhlman
Secondary Author(s): Alberto Behar, Jack Jones, Penelope Boston, Jeffrey Antol, Gregory Hajos, Warren Kelliher, Max Coleman, Ronald Crawford, Lynn Rothschild, Martin Buehler, Greg Bearman, Daniel W. Wilson, Christopher P. McKay
Institution: Planetary Science Institute
Summary: Tumbleweeds are lightweight, highly configurable and inexpensive wind-driven vehicles that could enable long-range surveys of the surface of Mars. Their analytical capabilities can be optimized for measurements for astrobiology or in situ resources over relatively large swaths of terrain.
Panel Selection: Mars: Not Phobos and Deimos.
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These documents have been prepared in coordination with the National Academies of Science in support of the National Academies Planetary Science Decadal Survey. These documents are being made available for information purposes only, and any views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of NASA, JPL, or the California Institute of Technology.