Asteroid Rover

 

Most asteroids have such low gravity that one big jump would launch you off the surface forever.

On some asteroids, moving any faster than a few kilometers per hour would be enough to send you into space.

For example, on Mars' moon Phobos we can't go faster than about 36 kilometers per hour (about golf cart speed).

So why drive when the low gravity makes it a joy to bounce along? Because if you get excited and move too fast, you might just fly off. Sitting in a slow-moving rover is safer.

When I visited A-1879-HO last summer, we rode in a rover to keep us at a low, controlled speed. Plus, we traveled in comfort instead of a bulky spacesuit.  

They even stocked the rover with squeeze cheese on English peas (my favorite)!

If you ever explore an asteroid, send me a picture at

RamoneRocketeer -at- gmail -dot- com.