{"id":327332,"date":"2025-12-03T03:00:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T17:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=933518"},"modified":"2025-12-03T03:00:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T17:00:10","slug":"nasa-tests-drones-in-death-valley-preps-for-martian-sands-and-skies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=327332","title":{"rendered":"NASA Tests Drones in Death Valley, Preps for Martian Sands and Skies"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-image-carousel grid-container grid-container-block padding-top-4 padding-bottom-4 hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-image-carousel\">\n<div id=\"carousel-wrapper-carousel-692f20973fb4a\" class=\"hds-carousel-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-carousel-slider margin-0\" id=\"image-carousel-slider-carousel-692f20973fb4a\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-client-id=\"carousel-692f20973fb4a\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-variation=\"carousel\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-autoplay=\"\" \n\t\t\t\tdata-autoplay-speed=\"2000\" \n\t\t\t\tdata-play-pause=\"\" \n\t\t\t\tdata-transition-type=\"slide\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-progress=\"\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-progress-labels=\"\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-start-label=\"Start\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-end-label=\"End\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-labels-initialized=\"true\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"display-block width-full\" data-label=\"\">\n<figure class=\"margin-0\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper hds-image-carousel-slide margin-bottom-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-pia26674-researchers-test-mars-drone-software-in-death-valley-web.jpg?w=1024\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Two people stand side by side on a sandy hill, or dune. The person on the left is standing in a blue top, while the person on the right in a gray top is holding a controller. Above and to the left of their heads is a rotorcraft flying above the dune. The background of this image is more sandy dunes.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"eager\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-pia26674-researchers-test-mars-drone-software-in-death-valley-web.jpg 4043w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-pia26674-researchers-test-mars-drone-software-in-death-valley-web.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-pia26674-researchers-test-mars-drone-software-in-death-valley-web.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-pia26674-researchers-test-mars-drone-software-in-death-valley-web.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-pia26674-researchers-test-mars-drone-software-in-death-valley-web.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-pia26674-researchers-test-mars-drone-software-in-death-valley-web.jpg?resize=2048,1152 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-pia26674-researchers-test-mars-drone-software-in-death-valley-web.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-pia26674-researchers-test-mars-drone-software-in-death-valley-web.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-pia26674-researchers-test-mars-drone-software-in-death-valley-web.jpg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-pia26674-researchers-test-mars-drone-software-in-death-valley-web.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-pia26674-researchers-test-mars-drone-software-in-death-valley-web.jpg?resize=2000,1125 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Researchers from NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California monitor a research drone in the Dumont Dunes area of the Mojave Desert in September as part of a test campaign to develop navigation software to guide future rotorcraft on Mars.<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<div class=\"display-block width-full\" data-label=\"\">\n<figure class=\"margin-0\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper hds-image-carousel-slide margin-bottom-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-lassie-m-walks-across-white-sands-national-park-web.jpg?w=1024\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"One person in a blue shirt and a bucket hat walks on a flat, white sandy ground and there is a blue sky behind them. They are holding a laptop on a harness around their neck while in the foreground, a small, dog-like robot walks.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-lassie-m-walks-across-white-sands-national-park-web.jpg 4982w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-lassie-m-walks-across-white-sands-national-park-web.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-lassie-m-walks-across-white-sands-national-park-web.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-lassie-m-walks-across-white-sands-national-park-web.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-lassie-m-walks-across-white-sands-national-park-web.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-lassie-m-walks-across-white-sands-national-park-web.jpg?resize=2048,1152 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-lassie-m-walks-across-white-sands-national-park-web.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-lassie-m-walks-across-white-sands-national-park-web.jpg?resize=600,337 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-lassie-m-walks-across-white-sands-national-park-web.jpg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-lassie-m-walks-across-white-sands-national-park-web.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-lassie-m-walks-across-white-sands-national-park-web.jpg?resize=2000,1125 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">A researcher monitors LASSIE-M (Legged Autonomous Surface Science In Analogue Environments for Mars), a robot being developed by NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center and other institutions, during testing this year at New Mexico\u2019s White Sands National Park.<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">Justin Durner<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<div class=\"display-block width-full\" data-label=\"\">\n<figure class=\"margin-0\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper hds-image-carousel-slide margin-bottom-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-half-scale-model-of-merf-web.jpg?w=1024\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"A NASA meatball is placed with &quot;Langley Research Center: Our Wonder Changes the World&quot; below it on a brick wall. In front of the wall is a silver scale model of MERF (Mars Electric Reusable Flyer).\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-half-scale-model-of-merf-web.jpg 2736w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-half-scale-model-of-merf-web.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-half-scale-model-of-merf-web.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-half-scale-model-of-merf-web.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-half-scale-model-of-merf-web.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-half-scale-model-of-merf-web.jpg?resize=2048,1152 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-half-scale-model-of-merf-web.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-half-scale-model-of-merf-web.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-half-scale-model-of-merf-web.jpg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-half-scale-model-of-merf-web.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-half-scale-model-of-merf-web.jpg?resize=2000,1125 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">This half-scale model of MERF (Mars Electric Reusable Flyer), a gliding robot being developed by NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center, was flown this year to test new technologies for Mars exploration.<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-carousel-nav display-flex margin-left-auto margin-right-0\" data-carousel-id=\"image-carousel-slider-carousel-692f20973fb4a\">\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"hds-carousel-nav-arrow hds-carousel-arrow-prev\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"9px\" height=\"9px\" viewBox=\"0 0 9 9\"><path class=\"st0\" d=\"M3.5,4.5l3.7-3.6L6.3,0L1.8,4.5L6.3,9l0.9-0.9L3.5,4.5z\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"hds-carousel-nav-arrow hds-carousel-arrow-next margin-right-0\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"9px\" height=\"9px\" viewBox=\"0 0 9 9\"><path class=\"st0\" d=\"M5.5,4.5L1.8,8.1L2.7,9l4.5-4.5L2.7,0L1.8,0.9L5.5,4.5z\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>Next-generation drone flight software is just one of 25 technologies for the Red Planet that the space agency funded for development this year.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>When NASA engineers want to test a concept for exploring the Red Planet, they have to find ways to create Mars-like conditions here on Earth. Then they test, tinker, and repeat.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why a team from NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California took three research drones to California\u2019s Death Valley National Park and the Mojave Desert earlier this year. They needed barren, featureless desert dunes to hone navigation software. Called&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/techport.nasa.gov\/projects\/182841\" rel=\"noopener\">Extended Robust Aerial Autonomy<\/a>, the work is just one of 25 projects funded by the agency\u2019s Mars Exploration Program this past year to push the limits of future technologies. Similar dunes on Mars&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/nasa-performs-first-aircraft-accident-investigation-on-another-world\/\" rel=\"noopener\">confused the navigation algorithm<\/a>&nbsp;of NASA\u2019s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during several of its last flights, including its 72nd and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/after-three-years-on-mars-nasas-ingenuity-helicopter-mission-ends\/\" rel=\"noopener\">final flight<\/a>&nbsp;on the Red Planet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIngenuity was designed to fly over well-textured terrain, estimating its motion by looking at visual features on the ground. But eventually it had to cross over blander areas where this became hard,\u201d said Roland Brockers, a JPL researcher and drone pilot. \u201cWe want future vehicles to be more versatile and not have to worry about flying over challenging areas like these sand dunes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Whether it\u2019s new navigation software, slope-scaling robotic scouts, or long-distance gliders, the technology being developed by the Mars Exploration Program envisions a future where robots can explore all on their own \u2014 or even help astronauts do their work.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Desert drones<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>NASA scientists and engineers have been going to Death Valley National Park since the 1970s, when the agency was preparing for the first Mars landings with the twin&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/viking\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Viking<\/a>&nbsp;spacecraft. Rubbly volcanic boulders on barren slopes earned one area the name Mars Hill, where much of this research has taken place. Almost half a century later, JPL engineers tested the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/mars-2020-perseverance\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Perseverance<\/a>&nbsp;rover\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/nasas-mars-2020-mission-drops-in-on-death-valley\/\" rel=\"noopener\">precision landing system<\/a>&nbsp;by flying a component of it in a piloted helicopter over the park.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>For the drone testing, engineers traveled to the park\u2019s Mars Hill and Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes in late April and early September. The JPL team received only the third-ever license to fly research drones in Death Valley. Temperatures reached as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius); gathered beneath a pop-up canopy, team members tracked the progress of their drones on a laptop.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\">\n<div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-fit \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e1-pia26675-researchers-monitor-drone-testing-in-a-pop-up-tent.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e1-pia26675-researchers-monitor-drone-testing-in-a-pop-up-tent.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Four people gather around a laptop on a table underneath a tent in the middle of the desert.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e1-pia26675-researchers-monitor-drone-testing-in-a-pop-up-tent.jpg 5472w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e1-pia26675-researchers-monitor-drone-testing-in-a-pop-up-tent.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e1-pia26675-researchers-monitor-drone-testing-in-a-pop-up-tent.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e1-pia26675-researchers-monitor-drone-testing-in-a-pop-up-tent.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e1-pia26675-researchers-monitor-drone-testing-in-a-pop-up-tent.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e1-pia26675-researchers-monitor-drone-testing-in-a-pop-up-tent.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e1-pia26675-researchers-monitor-drone-testing-in-a-pop-up-tent.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e1-pia26675-researchers-monitor-drone-testing-in-a-pop-up-tent.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e1-pia26675-researchers-monitor-drone-testing-in-a-pop-up-tent.jpg?resize=900,600 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e1-pia26675-researchers-monitor-drone-testing-in-a-pop-up-tent.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e1-pia26675-researchers-monitor-drone-testing-in-a-pop-up-tent.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">JPL researchers gather under a pop-up tent in Death Valley National Park while monitoring the performance of a research drone equipped with navigation software for Mars.<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The test campaign has already resulted in useful findings, including how different camera filters help the drones track the ground and how new algorithms can guide them to safely land in cluttered terrain like Mars Hill\u2019s.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s incredibly exciting to see scientists using Death Valley as a proving ground for space exploration,\u201d said Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds. \u201cIt\u2019s a powerful reminder that the park is protected not just for its scenic beauty or recreational opportunities, but as a living laboratory that actively helps us understand desert environments and worlds beyond our own.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For additional testing during the three-day excursion, the team ventured to the Mojave Desert\u2019s Dumont Dunes. The site of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/mojave-desert-tests-prepare-for-nasa-mars-roving\/\" rel=\"noopener\">mobility system tests<\/a>&nbsp;for NASA\u2019s Curiosity rover in 2012, the rippled dunes there offered a variation of the featureless terrain used to test the flight software in Death Valley.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cField tests give you a much more comprehensive perspective than solely looking at computer models and limited satellite images,\u201d said JPL\u2019s Nathan Williams, a geologist on the team who previously helped operate Ingenuity. \u201cScientifically interesting features aren\u2019t always located in the most benign places, so we want to be prepared to explore even more challenging terrains than Ingenuity did.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\">\n<div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-fit \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e2-pia26676-research-drone-conducts-test-flight-over-mars-hill.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1365\" height=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e2-pia26676-research-drone-conducts-test-flight-over-mars-hill.jpg?w=1365\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"A drone flies over a rocky desert surface with a mountain and blue sky in the background.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e2-pia26676-research-drone-conducts-test-flight-over-mars-hill.jpg 3550w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e2-pia26676-research-drone-conducts-test-flight-over-mars-hill.jpg?resize=200,300 200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e2-pia26676-research-drone-conducts-test-flight-over-mars-hill.jpg?resize=768,1152 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e2-pia26676-research-drone-conducts-test-flight-over-mars-hill.jpg?resize=683,1024 683w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e2-pia26676-research-drone-conducts-test-flight-over-mars-hill.jpg?resize=1024,1536 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e2-pia26676-research-drone-conducts-test-flight-over-mars-hill.jpg?resize=1365,2048 1365w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e2-pia26676-research-drone-conducts-test-flight-over-mars-hill.jpg?resize=267,400 267w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e2-pia26676-research-drone-conducts-test-flight-over-mars-hill.jpg?resize=400,600 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e2-pia26676-research-drone-conducts-test-flight-over-mars-hill.jpg?resize=600,900 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e2-pia26676-research-drone-conducts-test-flight-over-mars-hill.jpg?resize=800,1200 800w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/e2-pia26676-research-drone-conducts-test-flight-over-mars-hill.jpg?resize=1333,2000 1333w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1365px) 100vw, 1365px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">One of three JPL drones used in recent tests flies over Mars Hill, a region of Death Valley National Park that has been visited by NASA Mars researchers since the 1970s, when the agency was preparing to land the twin Viking spacecraft on the Red Planet.<\/div>\n<div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Robot dogs<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The California desert isn\u2019t the only field site where Mars technology has been tested this year. In August, researchers from NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston ventured to New Mexico\u2019s White Sands National Park, another desert location that has hosted NASA testing for decades.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>They were there with a doglike robot called&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/techport.nasa.gov\/projects\/182856\" rel=\"noopener\">LASSIE-M<\/a>&nbsp;(Legged Autonomous Surface Science In Analogue Environments for Mars). Motors in the robot\u2019s legs measure physical properties of the surface that, when combined with other data, lets LASSIE-M shift gait as it encounters terrain that is softer, looser, or crustier \u2014 variations often indicative of scientifically interesting changes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>The team\u2019s goal is to develop a robot that can scale rocky or sandy terrain \u2014 both of which can be hazardous to a rover \u2014 as it scouts ahead of humans and robots alike, using instruments to seek out new science.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Wings for Mars&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Another Mars Exploration Program&nbsp;concept funded this past year is an autonomous robot that trades the&nbsp;compactness of the Ingenuity helicopter for the range that comes with wings. NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, has been developing the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/techport.nasa.gov\/projects\/182859\" rel=\"noopener\">Mars Electric Reusable Flyer<\/a>&nbsp;(MERF), which looks like a single wing with twin propellers that allow it to lift off vertically and hover in the air. (A fuselage and tail would be too heavy for this design.)&nbsp;While the flyer skims the sky at high speeds, instruments on its belly can map the surface.<\/p>\n<p>At its full size, the MERF unfolds to be about as long as a small school bus. Langley engineers have been testing a half-scale prototype, sending it soaring across a field on the Virgina campus to study the design\u2019s aerodynamics and the robot\u2019s lightweight materials, which are critical to flying in Mars\u2019 thin atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p>With other projects focused on new forms of power generation, drills and sampling equipment, and cutting-edge autonomous software, there are many new ways for NASA to explore Mars in the future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>News Media Contacts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Andrew Good<br \/>Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.<br \/>818-393-2433<br \/><a href=\"mailto:andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov\">andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Alise Fisher \/ Alana Johnson<br \/>NASA Headquarters, Washington<br \/>202-617-4977 \/ 202-672-4780<br \/><a href=\"mailto:alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov\">alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov\">alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>2025-131<\/p>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 nasa_template_article_a hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-credits-and-details\">\n<section class=\"padding-x-0 padding-top-5 padding-bottom-2 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-2 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Share<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"padding-bottom-2\">\n<ul class=\"social-icons social-icons-round\">\n<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-x\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a 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2.5s-2.48-1.119-2.48-2.5c0-1.38 1.11-2.5 2.48-2.5s2.48 1.12 2.48 2.5zm.02 4.5h-5v16h5v-16zm7.982 0h-4.968v16h4.969v-8.399c0-4.67 6.029-5.052 6.029 0v8.399h4.988v-10.131c0-7.88-8.922-7.593-11.018-3.714v-2.155z\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-rss\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feed\/\" aria-label=\"Subscribe to RSS feed.\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 800 800\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M493 652H392c0-134-111-244-244-244V307c189 0 345 156 345 345zm71 0c0-228-188-416-416-416V132c285 0 520 235 520 520z\"\/><circle cx=\"219\" cy=\"581\" r=\"71\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Details<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row margin-bottom-3\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n<div class=\"subheading\">Last Updated<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-8\">Dec 02, 2025<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black \">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Related Terms<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"article-tags\">\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mars\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Mars<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/robotics\/\">Robotics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/\">Technology Research<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-related-articles\">\n<section class=\"hds-related-articles padding-x-0 padding-y-3 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n<div class=\"w-100 grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0 text-align-left\">\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-4\">\n<h2 style=\"max-width: 100%;\" class=\"width-full w-full maxw-full\">Explore More<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/mars-reconnaissance-orbiter\/nasa-orbiter-shines-new-light-on-long-running-martian-mystery\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-mars-south-polar-cap.jpg?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-mars-south-polar-cap.jpg 2584w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-mars-south-polar-cap.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-mars-south-polar-cap.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-mars-south-polar-cap.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-mars-south-polar-cap.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-mars-south-polar-cap.jpg?resize=2048,1152 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-mars-south-polar-cap.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-mars-south-polar-cap.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-mars-south-polar-cap.jpg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-mars-south-polar-cap.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-mars-south-polar-cap.jpg?resize=2000,1125 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">5 min read<\/div>\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\">\n<h3 class=\"related-article-title\">NASA Orbiter Shines New Light on Long-Running Martian Mystery<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 week ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/planets\/mars\/nasas-mars-spacecraft-capture-images-of-comet-3i-atlas\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-hirise-clean-nasagov.jpg?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-hirise-clean-nasagov.jpg 1220w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-hirise-clean-nasagov.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-hirise-clean-nasagov.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-hirise-clean-nasagov.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-hirise-clean-nasagov.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-hirise-clean-nasagov.jpg?resize=600,337 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-hirise-clean-nasagov.jpg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-hirise-clean-nasagov.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">6 min read<\/div>\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\">\n<h3 class=\"related-article-title\">NASA\u2019s Mars Spacecraft Capture Images of Comet 3I\/ATLAS<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2 weeks ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/view-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-through-nasas-multiple-lenses\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/psd\/solar-system\/comets\/3i-atlas\/2025\/MRO%20HiRISE-CLEAN%20FINAL.tif\" ><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">3 min read<\/div>\n<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\">\n<h3 class=\"related-article-title\">View Interstellar Comet 3I\/ATLAS Through NASA\u2019s Multiple Lenses\u00a0<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-md color-carbon-60\">This article was updated to include the full range of dates from the SOHO image.&hellip;<\/p>\n<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2 weeks ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-topic-cards nasa-gb-align-full maxw-full width-full padding-y-6 padding-x-3 color-mode-dark hds-module hds-module-full alignfull wp-block-nasa-blocks-topic-cards\">\n<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block-lg padding-x-0\">\n<div class=\"grid-row flex-align-center margin-bottom-3\">\n<div class=\"desktop:grid-col-8 margin-bottom-2 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n<div class=\"label color-carbon-60 margin-bottom-2\">Keep Exploring<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"heading-36 line-height-sm\">Discover Related Topics<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"grid-row grid-gap-2 hds-topic-cards-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/planetary-science\/programs\/mars-exploration\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<h3 class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Mars Exploration<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"margin-bottom-0 margin-top-2 color-carbon-20-important\">Mars is the only planet we know of inhabited entirely by robots. Learn more about the Mars Missions.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" src=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/1-mars-nasa-gov-jpg.webp\" ><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/mars-reconnaissance-orbiter\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<h3 class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"margin-bottom-0 margin-top-2 color-carbon-20-important\">NASA\u2019s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is the second longest-lived spacecraft to orbit Mars, after 2001 Mars Odyssey.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" src=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/mars-reconnaissance-orbiter-pia04916.jpg\" ><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/mars-reconnaissance-orbiter\/science\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<h3 class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>MRO Science<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"margin-bottom-0 margin-top-2 color-carbon-20-important\">Overview Among other ongoing\u00a0 achievements, data collected by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter continues to help Mars scientists and engineers characterize potential&hellip;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" src=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/mars-perseverance-descent.jpg\" ><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/mars-express\/\" class=\"mobile:grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3 topic-card margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"hds-topic-card hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black\">\n<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-overlay-dark skrim-left mobile-skrim-top padding-3 display-flex flex-align-end flex-justify-start z-200\">\n<div>\n<h3 class=\"hds-topic-card-heading heading-29 color-spacesuit-white line-height-sm margin-top-0 margin-bottom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Mars Express<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><circle class=\"color-nasa-red\" cx=\"16\" cy=\"16\" r=\"16\"><\/circle><path d=\"M8 16.956h12.604l-3.844 4.106 1.252 1.338L24 16l-5.988-6.4-1.252 1.338 3.844 4.106H8v1.912z\" class=\"color-spacesuit-white\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"margin-bottom-0 margin-top-2 color-carbon-20-important\">NASA Participation\u00a0 In partnership with their European colleagues, U.S. scientists are participating in the scientific instrument teams of the Mars&hellip;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.science.nasa.gov\/dynamicimage\/assets\/science\/cds\/general\/images\/2008\/02\/mars-express-pillars-esa.jpg\" ><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Next-generation drone flight software is just one of 25 technologies for the Red Planet that the space agency funded for development this year. When NASA engineers want to test a concept for exploring the Red Planet, they have to find ways to create Mars-like conditions here on Earth. Then they test, tinker, and repeat.\u00a0 That\u2019s [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7727,5063,18935],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-327332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mars","category-robotics","category-technology-research"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/327332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=327332"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/327332\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":327533,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/327332\/revisions\/327533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=327332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=327332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=327332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}