A team of space scientists is suggesting a move away from one shot special missions toward flotillas of simple probes that would cover larger areas of planets.

The sensors sent down to the surface might each be as small as a coin and contain only a detector for heat or moisture. That would allow the missions to answer specific questions, such as whether water occasionally trickles down the sides of the Red Planet’s “grand canyon”, Valles Marineris, says Dohm.

Technorati tag: Space, Exploration