A Rover That's Out of This World

By JEFF SCHNAUFER

May 5, 1995 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

At first glance, the Russian-built Marsokhod doesn’t match up well on paper against other off-road vehicles:

Top speed: about one-quarter m.p.h.

Fuel economy: 600 miles per year.

Destination charge: $10 million.

Then again, there aren’t many vehicles that can go as far off road as this baby. At least, not on this planet.

That’s why I jumped at the chance to test drive the Marsokhod: an unmanned planetary rover modified by McDonnell Douglas and proposed to NASA for a mission to Mars or the moon.

Like any consumer on a tight budget, Uncle Sam wanted to field-test McDonnell Douglas’ prototype rover before deciding whether to buy. As someone who has been test-driving trucks and other off-road vehicles to buy for myself, I could relate. Especially since I’d be one of the taxpayers co-signing a Marsokhod deal.

So here, with apologies to Car and Driver magazine, is my review of the Marsokhod.

* Basic Model and Options: One thing’s for sure, a Marsokhod in the driveway isn’t going to impress the neighbors. Of course, there’s no one to impress on Mars (we think), so who cares?

The chassis is a no-nonsense, 300-pound Russian import about the size of a Jet Ski. It’s topped off with McDonnell Douglas’ avionics options package: a handy robotic arm, teleoperated steering, swiveling stereo cameras and a telecommunications system with a range (up to 248 million miles) that blows away any car phone.

Best of all, the rover is not merely a 4x4, it’s a 6x6. And each of the six wheels has its own motor, capable of carrying it over boulders nearly three feet high (the Martian version of speed bumps).

But don’t kick the wheels. They’re titanium.

* Test Conditions: I was able to conduct the test drive without leaving the showroom: a lab at NASA’s Ames Research Center south of San Francisco, crowded with computer monitors, video screens and a lone keyboard.

From there, the scientists explained, I would drive the rover by remote control via satellite link to the test track: the sloping, rock-strewn lava plains of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano. The scientists said this environment mirrored the lunar and Martian surfaces.

I think they were just afraid to drive it on the freeway.

* Controls: Martian carjackers would have a hell of time riding off with the Marsokhod.

There’s no steering wheel. No stick shift. Not even a key to the ignition. Instead, NASA scientist Burton Hine handed me a mouse attached to a computer monitor. I simply moved the pointer until it touched “forward,” then clicked.

I wasn’t surprised at how quickly the rover jerked forward, moving slowly up a reddish slope. With an average temperature of 180 degrees below zero on Mars, this baby is built for cold starts.

But I was surprised when it stopped a moment later. It turns out you have to keep hitting the gas (in this case the mouse) to move forward. This may be the first vehicle with a gas pedal that gives its driver carpal tunnel syndrome.

On the other hand, McDonnell Douglas technicians seem to have solved the problem of stopping the car to go to the bathroom. Because it takes up to 40 minutes for each command to make the round trip between Earth and Mars, a Marsokhod operator can hit the toilet, raid the refrigerator and catch an episode of “My Favorite Martian” before seeing the rover respond.

On the downside, this also means the rover could drive over a canyon edge 40 minutes before you can hit the brakes.

* Handling: The Marsokhod transforms the word slow from a verb to a noun. It took me nearly five minutes to grind my way up a 50-yard incline.

Turning was much more fun. I moved the icon to “right” and clicked the mouse. Inexorably, the rover revolved on its axis by moving various wheels at different speeds. I could almost smell the burning titanium. About halfway into the turn, I pressed “forward” again, leaving a nifty set of tread marks that would have looked rad in the Martian dust.

Surprisingly, I could have made a complete 360-degree turn. Imagine that. In the Marsokhod, no one would ever beat you to a parking space.

* Economy: Using nuclear power, the Marsokhod can take you about 600 miles in a year. With this option, McDonnell Douglas can get you into a rover and out the door for about $40 million. That’s about $66,666 per mile. Even a Hummer does better than that. Then again, you never have to stop for gas in the Marsokhod.

The solar-powered, $20-million Marsokhod version will take you about 100 miles, or about $20,000 per mile. Cheaper, yes, but you can’t drive at night.

Much as I’d love to buy American, I could save some bucks on the destination charge by shopping overseas. If I order my rocket from Moscow, it will cost only about $10 million. American-built rockets take off for about $40 million.

* Overall Grade: B. In my book, the Marsokhod has potential: A rugged chassis featuring some unique options but burdened with unresponsive controls.

Unfortunately for McDonnell Douglas, that’s what NASA thought too. The agency recently decided against the company’s prototype. Instead, it chose Lockheed’s $59-million Lunar Prospector to seek water ice in shadowed craters of the moon, a key for future exploration.

Yet at least part of the Marsokhod may still go to Mars. The Russians will send the rover’s original chassis, complete with their own controls and scientific instruments, to Mars in 1998.

But I encourage McDonnell Douglas to return to the drawing board. But this time, change the name. Marsokhod sounds like a Russian fish. Try something simple, like the Marsmobile. Or Red Rover.

And think sexy. Racing stripes. Wheel rims. Chrome bumpers. And some bald British guy as your spokesman.

Worked for the Enterprise.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

All-Terrain Rover

You’ll never find a better bumper-to-bumper deal than the one offered on the new Marsokhod rover. With electronics by McDonnell Douglas and a rugged Russian chassis, this baby is built lto endure extreme temperatures as well as a little moderate rain.

Although aa astronomical manufacturer’s suggested retail price and a low miles-per-gallon rating keep the rover out of range for the average commuter, connoisseurs will appreciate the swiveling video cameras and handy front-mounted robotic arm.

Now, about those destination charges...

SPECIFICATIONS:

Model: Marsokhod, Mars Rover

MSRP: Sky-high

Size: 5.6 feet tall; 4.9 feet long

Weight: 300 pounds

Engine: Solar- or nuclear-powered

Handling: Top speed--0.25 m..p.h.

Tires: Titanium

Air Bag: Option not yet available

Fuel Economy: About 600 miles per year

Car Phone: Built-in satellite-based system