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Wind-Powered Tumbleweed Rovers Set for Mars Data Mission
10/1/2025
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Story summary
- Wind-tunnel tests of 16-foot-wide tumbleweed rovers show they can collect data on Mars when wind-propelled.
- Rovers moved at 30–33 feet per second and can ascend Martian slopes up to 30 degrees.
- Across tests, 422 kilometers were covered over 100 Martian sols, with 2,800 kilometers max.
- Next phase shifts to Atacama Desert, Chile, to refine data collection capabilities for future swarms.
