What if VW attempted the Mars landing???

[subthree]

For those of you that haven't watched the landing of Perseverance, set aside 3 minutes to be marvelled by this phenomenal piece of engineering. So many things that could have easily gone wrong, but it went perfectly.

So, just for fun, how do you think it would go if VW built Perseverance?

 

[GrannyJen]

THe parachute would fall apart with roof rot.

 

[T6 CFO]

DSG or manual


Mike

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Manually pulling 4 fuses to clear errors would be very difficult from mission control.

 

[Gary&Heather]

It would be late leaving the factory.

 

[OGII]

Sorry. Launch week set back to weeks 51-52 whilst weight and gas emission issues are rectified. Software issues will be rectified after launch using an over the air update (provisionally code named ID3). Telemetry will be subject to regular interactions with VW staff online. Three or four variants of the rover will be available, some dearer than others. Given lack of water the Beach version is expected to be most popular.

 

[GrannyJen]

The DNS would get lost and plonk it into the wrong crater.

 

[Californication69]

Manually pulling 4 fuses to clear errors would be very difficult from mission control.

Could have two robotic arms.
On two different control pcb’s.
They could pull each other’s fuses out at alternating times

 

[Amarillo]

The minimum distance from Earth to Mars is 33,900,000 miles. I make that about 5650 AdBlue refills.

 

[vwsween]

They got halfway then confessed to incorrect MPG calcs.

 

[Velma's Dad]

You could get it in two tone but the tambour door on the Mars rock stowage bin would be held together with sticky tape.

 

[Rich20]

There would definitely be communication issues with no one coming back with updates.

 

[Amarillo]

Can you imagine the rattles!?

 

[OGII]

No one has considered resale values yet. Or the minor facelift to rover.1

 

[sidepod]

They would just send a T4 and put their feet up.

 

[SusiBus]

MG have already (unsuccessful) made an attempt.

 

[clarinetbcn]

Over the next 15 years VW will send four landers to Mars, calling each one by a new name even though there will only be software changes to basically the same vehicle. Each new version will be more complicated and less reliable. Secretly everyone hopes NASA will just get VW to make a modern version of the original Mariner 4 from 1965.

 

[clarinetbcn]

For those of you that haven't watched the landing of Perseverance, set aside 3 minutes to be marvelled by this phenomenal piece of engineering. So many things that could have easily gone wrong, but it went perfectly.

So, just for fun, how do you think it would go if VW built Perseverance?

This thread is genius. Maybe somebody from VW will read it and shed a tear for the sterling reputation they once had.

 

[Kernowboy]

Would end up 10L short of fuel due to a late, enforced spec change...

 

[subthree]

This thread is genius. Maybe somebody from VW will read it and shed tear for the sterling reputation they once had.

That was my hope

I let the kids stay up late last week to watch the landing live. We watched nearly 2 hours of coverage. It was utter genius. The jetpack photographs the terrain, whilst descending, so it can determine where to land! How do you do that??? The whole landing was fully autonomous. So exciting to watch.

And as for the Sky Crane!!! To suggest it is one thing, to work out how to do it, just wow. Hats off to NASA.

 

[AlisonF]

Would end up 10L short of fuel due to a late, enforced spec change...

Only if the spec decision point was too early?

 

[Velma's Dad]

The interplanetary radio receiver would switch itself off after 20 minutes (just when the David Bowie song was starting).

 

[clarinetbcn]

On arrival parachute is deployed, then someone from mission control remembers that the control module can't be turned around for landing because it fouls the parachute deployment lever, so parachute is retracted and module turned. A few minutes later the 5 year old child of one of the mission controllers points out that nobody has redeployed the parachute.

 

[clarinetbcn]

The inner surfaces of the landing module are covered with a layer of very expensive and extremely delicate protective material which is prone to collecting dust and dirt every time the sample collection port is opened. Rather than fitting a more robust covering, VW designed a removable cover of the same expensive material, and then created an entire space program of manned missions to Mars every year to remove and clean the protective covering.

 

[BerndRos]

If the corrosion reoccurs, by all means bring it back to our VWUK base for remedial repairs, at your travel expense !