R4D-8L of VX-6 near Beardmore Glacier 1961

The Grasshopper was a project by the United States Air Force and United States Navy to develop a portable robot weather station deployed by parachute from long range aircraft in the early 1950s. The Grasshopper was designed to be deployed by

parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...

into enemy territory and radio back basic weather information for air strikes. With the USAF ''Grasshopper'' after being parachuted down from a long range aircraft, a small explosive charge disconnects the parachute upon impact with the ground. After a selected preset time, a second explosive charge would deploy the legs of the unit while setting it upright on the ground. Finally, a third explosive charge would extend the

antenna Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to: Science and engineering * Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves * Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...

and make the unit ready to begin taking weather measurements, broadcasting them back three times a day at selected timed-intervals (so other aircraft can pick up the short range signal). Reports also stated that the Grasshopper could be used to guide in strike aircraft with the internal clock set for the approximate time the strike aircraft would arrive near the target.

References

'' "Grasshopper" Spies On The Enemy" '', June 1951, Popular Science
the USAF development, and one of the few articles known on the subject with extremely rare photos
'' "Air Dropped Robot Broadcast Weather" '', January 1956, Popular Mechanics
US Navy developed Grasshopper, modified for Antarctic research Military intelligence collection Meteorological instrumentation and equipment {{Espionage-stub