Suggested Searches

1 min read

Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies – Pseudo-rover

Pseudo-rover in action
Michael Furlong pushes the pseudo-rover, a deer cart outfitted with a stereo imager, to assess surface roughness and obstacles in preparation for the K-REX rover

Michael Furlong of NASA’s Ames Research Center’s Earth sciences division pushes a pseudo-rover, a deer cart outfitted with a stereo imager, to assess surface roughness and obstacles in preparation for the K-REX rover next year. K-REX is an Ames-designed and -developed rover prototype that is about the same size as the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on Mars. Mobility on the surface (rover) plus access into the subsurface (drill) will give the Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies a broad capability to search for potential biomarkers and life targets. Image credit: NASA

Read more: NASA Tests Life-Detection Drill in Earth’s Driest Place

More photos of the ARADS team in the Atacama: