From studying distant worlds to inspiring the next generation of engineers, NASA uses robotics in a variety of ways. These multimedia features capture some of the ways robotic technologies are paving the way to the future.
Interactive Features 3-D Interactive: The Lunar Electric Rover Take a 3-D look at NASA's new Lunar Electric Rover.
Interactive: Formation Flight Game Control a trio of droids aboard the International Space Station.
Interactive Feature: Explorer 1 Spacecraft On Jan. 31, 1958, Explorer 1 soared into space, becoming the first Earth-orbiting U.S. satellite. Take a look inside the spacecraft and learn how it worked.
Interactive Feature: Find Your Location Landsat has collected information from Earth's surface, creating a historical archive unmatched in quality, detail, coverage and length. Find your town or location at this Web site.
Game: Be Spuzzled! Landsat images are used to create a computer game for students.
NASA Lunar Electric Rover Simulator -- iTunes App Buckle up as the LER Simulator gives you a glimpse of what it might be like to support the activities of a functioning lunar outpost.
Videos Video: Lunar Electric Rover Watch as the Lunar Electric Rover moves by the presidential viewing stand during the inaugural parade.
Video: 3-D Rovers Watch in 3-D as NASA tests rovers at the Desert RATS testing grounds.
Video: Robot Madness NASA Explorer School students use Lego robots to compete on a Mars-like obstacle course during an annual robotics competition.
Video: A Student's Perspective -- Robotics College student Gisselle Cunningham's summer stint on a robotics project at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory was the perfect fit.
Video: NASA for Kids: Intro to Engineering What is engineering and who exactly is an engineer? Learn more in this video!
Video: Phoenix -- A Tribute After a picture-perfect landing, the Phoenix Mars Lander returned unprecedented views and new findings from Mars' north polar region.
Video Clip: The Smart Probe, an Early Cancer Detection Tool Learn how preparations for missions to Mars have resulted in medical technology that is useful on Earth. This NASA video segment explains how space technology is being used to fight breast cancer.
Video: Dancing Droids Watch a test session using autonomous, flying droids to simulate Terrestrial Planet Finder technology aboard the International Space Station.
Video: Rover and Spacesuit Testing Watch as NASA tests demonstration spacesuits and concept rovers.
Video: Free Spirit -- A Second Rover Rolls in Test Area Follow Spirit's story as engineers work to free Spirit from its sand trap.
Video: NASA Climate Watcher Waves Goodbye After a 13-year voyage of discovery, the Topex/Poseidon oceanography satellite ended its mission.
Video: Satellites in Our Lives Learn the parts of a satellite and how they work. This animation provides basic information about Landsat and Earth remote sensing.
Video: Rover Undergrad Lucy Abramyan was an intern at NASA at age 16. She is now a software engineer for NASA's ATHLETE robot.
NASA eClips™ Videos Our World: Grades K-5 Our World: Challenges of Exploration -- The Right Vehicle for the Job
Learn about the challenges of exploring the surface of Mars. Find out how NASA uses science and math to successfully design the type of vehicle needed for specific missions. See why scientists refer to entry, descent and landing as "seven minutes of terror."
Our World: Investigating Mars With the Phoenix Lander
Find out about the amazing new discoveries made on Mars with the Phoenix Lander. See how Phoenix uncovered water ice on Mars. Learn about habitability and the difference between a day on Earth and a sol on Mars.
Our World: NASA's Lunar Electric Rover
When astronauts return to the moon, they will need to be able to move around on the surface. Learn about NASA's Lunar Electric Rover that will solve problems with pressurization, moon dust and mobility.
Our World: How Do You Get a Plane to Mars?
Airplanes cannot fly to Mars. So how do you transport a plane to Mars so it can soar above the surface and collect data about the Martian atmosphere? Learn about the protective case, or aeroshell, created to take the ARES airplane to Mars.
Our World: Collecting Data From Mars Using ARES
Learn about ARES, the unmanned vehicle NASA plans to send to Mars. ARES will fly a mile above the surface collecting data about the Red Planet.
Our World: NASA's New Moon Robot
NASA plans to use a six-legged, wheeled robot for missions to the moon and Mars. The All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer, or ATHLETE, will be used to move the astronauts' habitats and capture images to send back to Earth.
Our World: Instruments on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
Meet Cathy Peddie, a NASA engineer working on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Discover how LRO will use color to learn more about the moon.
Our World: The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
Learn about the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. As it orbits the moon for one year, LRO will collect moon temperatures, determine safe landing sites for future NASA missions, and more!
Real World: Grades 6-8 Real World: Choosing the Right Lunar Excavator
See how NASA engineers use the design process to evaluate the best choice for a new lunar excavator. Three different models are tested in Hawaii where the soil on Mauna Kea Volcano is similar to that on the moon.
Real World: The Math Involved in ARES
Learn about ARES, the unmanned vehicle NASA plans to send to Mars to fly around the surface collecting data about the Red Planet. Discover the mathematics used to design ARES.
Real World: Scarab -- NASA's Newest Lunar Exploration Rover
Find out why engineers are testing NASA's autonomous rover Scarab. It is equipped with drills for taking lunar soil samples. Scarab has special wheels, designed by Michelin, to optimize ground contact pressure.
Real World: Designing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
NASA is using new technology to design Unmanned Aerial Vehicles that collect data and test experiments without putting pilots at risk. Learn about the mathematics involved in designing these airplanes.
Real World: Testing NASA's New Moon Robot
Learn about the mobile robot NASA plans to use for future missions to Mars: the All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer, or ATHLETE. This one-third scale model helps NASA see just what the robot can do.
Real World: NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission
Join NASA scientists for a look at the new Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Find out about the instruments that will make a comprehensive map of the moon and search for safe landing sites by collecting unprecedented amounts of data.
Real World: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Resources
Get a new perspective on moon resources with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. See how NASA plans to gather data about the unique lunar poles. Scientists will use the light reflected off the surface to identify different minerals on the moon.
Launch Pad: Grades 9-12 To watch captioned versions of NASA eClips™ videos, go to the grade-level sections of the NASA eClips Web site.
Our World: Grades K-5 Real World: Grades 6-8 Launch Pad: Grades 9-12
Websites Website: Mars Exploration Rover Mission Home Page Keep up with Spirit and Opportunity as they explore Mars. The page has navigation buttons for kids, students, educators and the press.
Website: Mars Exploration Program Watch videos from 2001 to 2009 about robotic missions.
Website: NASA and You NASA and You inspires and engages Hispanic students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. This site features videos and information in both Spanish and English.
Multimedia Galleries Multimedia Gallery: Mars Exploration Rover View images and videos of Spirit and Opportunity.
Podcasts and Vodcasts Vodcast: NASA EDGE: Lunabotics 2012 NASA EDGE presents highlights of the 2012 Lunabotics Mining Competition from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Vodcast: NASA EDGE@Lunar Robot Arm Built from ordinary household and professional products, the Lunar Surface Manipulator System shows huge promise as a potential manipulator for NASA's permanent outpost on the moon. NASA EDGE learns all about this developing proof of concept from senior engineer John Dorsey at NASA's Langley Research Center.
Podcast: Spirit and Opportunity: A Tale of Two Rovers -- 2009 Listen as the Mars team celebrates the completion of five years of exploration by the Mars rovers.
