Surface-Launched Explorers for Reconnaissance/Scouting

Small, instrumented, expendable robotic aircraft and projectiles have been proposed for use in scouting for targeted new sites by providing closeup images with ~10-cm resolution, covering large distances ~1 to 10 km quickly and allowing reconnaissance to enable sample return. Denoted microflyers or surface-launched explorers (SLEs), the proposed robotic aircraft and projectiles were conceived especially for use in the exploration of Mars and possibly other distant planets. SLEs could also be adapted to such terrestrial uses as military reconnaissance, exploration of hostile terrain (e.g., volcanoes, steep cliffs, or glaciers), surveying hazardous-waste sites, and searching for victims of earthquakes.