Skip to Content

Space Rovers Tested in Arizona

At its annual Desert RATS event, NASA is testing new robots in a simulated lunar environment.
September 1, 2009

Each year a NASA-led team of researchers, called Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-RATS), test their latest human-robotic exploration systems in a simulated lunar environment in Arizona. This year, the agency is conducting a 14-day mission during which two crew members–an astronaut and a geologist–will live inside a Lunar Electric Rover (LER). They will only leave the rover, wearing spacesuits, to perform simulated moonwalks.

NASA’s Tri-ATHLETE rover (left) and Lunar Electric Rover (LER) being
tested in Arizona. Credit: D-RATS

The event kicked off on August 28 and will continue until September 18. It will include testing NASA’s K-10 rover, designed for reconnaissance and mapping, and its Tri-ATHLETE rover, a heavy-lifter that carries a habitat for the LER to dock to.

The field tests are important in the development of NASA’s planetary robotic systems–it not only gives engineers and technicians experience with the equipment, but it ensures their reliability for future missions.

New technologies that the researchers will be testing include LER avionics, a dust cover for the new lightweight spacesuits, and controls and mechanisms for so-called suit ports–a system that allows astronauts to slip in and out of their spacesuits without having to ever bring them inside the vehicle, leaving the cabin free of any dust and contaminants (read more from NASA on the suit ports here). Researchers will also test communications systems and how different communications scenarios–continuous, limited, and non-real time–affect the crew’s productivity.

The rovers will transverse a 20 kilometer circle in an area 40 miles north of Flagstaff called Black Point Lava Flow that is one mile south of the Gray Mountains. The K-10 rover will be used as a scout for LER, traveling ahead of it, mapping the area, gathering data, and planning tasks. Tri-ATHLETE will mate with LER, carrying the crew’s habitat, supplies, and communication system.

You can follow the events of D-RATS on Twitter or through their NASA blog; images are being posted here.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build

“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”

ChatGPT is going to change education, not destroy it

The narrative around cheating students doesn’t tell the whole story. Meet the teachers who think generative AI could actually make learning better.

Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives

The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.

Learning to code isn’t enough

Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.