NASA engineers work on a low-gravity unmanned exploration vehicle crafted to bounce

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HARROW: NASA has a new baby and it has named it the ‘Hedgehog’. It has a very pivotal role to play and its purpose has come from the experience we had from the ESA comet lander Philae that bounced during touchdown and wound up under a cliff, unable to do what was intended. NASA engineers are working on a low-gravity unmanned exploration vehicle crafted to bounce, tumble and roll around asteroids and comets. This new space exploration robot is underway to hop and roll over the rugged terrain of asteroids and comets.
Gravity is a force that governs motion throughout the universe. It holds us to the ground, and it keeps the moon in orbit around Earth and Earth in orbit around the sun. Earth’s gravitational field at about 250 miles above the surface is 88.8 percent of its strength at the surface. Therefore, orbiting spacecraft, like the space shuttle or space station, are kept in orbit around Earth by gravity.
Due to weak gravitational fields, small space objects like comets and asteroids can pose challenge for space craft sent to study them as it tries to land or move on the surface.
The Hedgehog has already performed well in simulated microgravity conditions, so its future as a small space object explorer is looking positive.
Expect this robot to explore the other world as it defies microgravity.