Mars

Should both the successes and failures of space robots curb the ambition of a manned Mars mission?

Late morning, red skies over Mars, and the first human interloper emerges from her landing craft to review the dusty expanse. As she eases carefully down the ladder towards the alien earth, her mind s...

11 November 2016, by Alex Kirkpatrick

Prepping a robot for its journey to Mars

Sarah Hensley is preparing an astronaut named Valkyrie for a mission to Mars. It is 6 feet tall, weighs 300 pounds, and is equipped with an extended chest cavity that makes it look distinctly female. ...

21 October 2016, by MIT News

Schiaparelli, are you there? The high risks of space robotics again crash home

In Darmstadt, Germany, European Space Agency (ESA) teams are scrambling to confirm contact with the Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module (EDM), Schiaparelli—the spectre of Philae still hau...

20 October 2016, by Alex Kirkpatrick

Can I trust my robot? And should my robot trust me?

If we are serious about long-term human presence in space, such as manned bases on the moon or Mars, we must figure out how to streamline human-robot interactions....

07 April 2016, by Riccardo Bevilacqua

UAE starts process of building Arab region’s first Mars probe | Gulf Business

The UAE has taken the “first practical steps” towards its mission of sending the Arab world’s first unmanned probe to Mars, the UAE’s VP and PM and Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid A...

21 October 2014, by Hallie Siegel

A visual history of robotic Mars probes | Wired UK

Check out Paul Butt's beautifully illustrated infographic on the history of Mars exploration by robotic probes, and the many successes and failures along the way. See on Wired UK. &...

11 March 2013, by Hallie Siegel