How do we get to Mars? Step by step.
NASA has sent many robotic missions to Mars, some of which we’ve talked about in the past.
Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
How will we continue this legacy of robot explorers on the red planet? With a new robotic concept designed in collaboration with academic and commercial organizations.
The robot, known as Valkyrie, was originally designed to work in disaster relief. Now, this humanoid robot’s primary goal is to operate in the harsh environments of deep space. In the future, it will greatly aid in our Journey to Mars.
NASA chose two university groups through a competitive selection process to be awarded prototypes of the robot. One selected proposal went to a group at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and another went to a group at Northeastern University.
The goal is to create better software for robots used in space missions as well as improve the robot’s autonomy.
This kind of collaboration fosters innovation between academia and NASA. This has been enabled through NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), which seeks to mature technology that NASA needs for its future missions through collaborative partnerships. This kind of partnership helps to assure that NASA has the capabilities needed for the Journey to Mars.
For more about NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, check out NASA.gov.