NASA To Send Robo Dogs And Drones On Mars And Moon Before A Crewed Mission; Here's Why

We are closer to a crewed lunar launch by NASA next year and hopefully sooner marstronauts will be walking on the martian terrain. However, before sending human presence on the red planet, the American space agency is testing a slew of alternatives that will explore Mars, maneuvering through its unearthly and challenging geography. With network and GPS a challenge on a planet that is on average 1.52 AU from earth, it only makes sense, machines pave the way. And not just any machines; we have plenty of rovers on the martian soil. NASA is upping the game with the introduction of drones and robodogs in the mission. However, before deploying swarms of them on Mars, they are being rigorously tested on simulated featureless dune terrain on Earth. But where?
Southern California-based NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is testing three drones in Death Valley National Park and the Mojave Desert.
However, the most interesting equipment to be deployed in the future has to be the robodog. Called the Legged Autonomous Surface Science In Analog Environments for Mars, aka LASSIE-M, it is being trained to go on uncharted territories.
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About the quadrupedal robot, NASA states
It has advanced the capability of legged robots to switch gaits when they encounter differences in terrain, including challenging steep terrain and scientifically interesting terrains. Vision and depth-sensing payloads advance detection of variable terrain types that, in addition to the leg proprioception, enable gait switching and provide key information for autonomous or human-in-the-loop decisions. Continuous path-based measurements by the legs and payloads have driven new operations approaches that use autonomy for path planning and scientific-sampling decisions in cooperation with humans in the field and in a backroom.
Looking ahead, it is envisioned that agile legged robots will serve as scouts: characterizing regolith geotechnical properties, flagging hazardous soft-sand regions, and identifying high-value science targets. Such scouting capability would directly enhance operational planning for wheeled rovers and astronaut explorers, extending the reach and safety of future Mars missions.
Currently the project portal for LASSIE-M states that the technological maturity of the project is nearing the end of applied research.
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