Produced by: Manoj Kumar
NASA is developing autonomous robots to explore icy moons like Europa and Enceladus, equipped to navigate harsh, unpredictable terrains.
Engineers at NASA are crafting AI-driven systems to help landers make split-second decisions without waiting for Earth commands.
Credit : NASA
The OWLAT robotic arm at JPL mimics operations on icy moons, testing drilling, scooping, and terrain analysis.
Credit : NASA
OceanWATERS, a virtual-reality tool at NASA Ames, replicates icy and desert terrains for advanced fault simulations.
Credit : NASA
Autonomous software trained through reinforcement learning anticipates and resolves operational failures on extraterrestrial missions.
Europa and Enceladus are prime targets due to their subsurface oceans, with the potential to host life.
Credit : NASA
OceanWATERS models battery usage, helping landers prioritize science tasks without risking power loss.
Credit : NASA
Future missions to icy moons will build on insights gained from ESA’s Titan landing and ongoing JUICE and Europa Clipper missions.
These advanced systems ensure landers will adapt autonomously, advancing space exploration to its smartest era yet.