Robots in Space: U.S. Missions and Technology Requirements into the Next Century

The Telerobotics Program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Office of Space Science is developing innovative telerobotics technologies to enable or support a wide range of space missions over the next decade and beyond. These technologies fall into four core application areas: landers, surface vehicles (rovers), and aerovehicles for solar system exploration and science; rovers for commercially supported lunar activities; free-flying and platform-attached robots for in-orbit servicing and assembly; and robots supporting in-orbit biotechnology and microgravity experiments. Such advanced robots will enable missions to explore Mars, Venus, and Saturn's moon Titan, as well as probes to sample comets and asteroids. They may also play an important role in commercially funded exploration of large regions on Earth's Moon, as well as the eventual development of a human-supporting Lunar Outpost. In addition, in-orbit servicing of satellites and maintenance of large platforms like the International Space Station will require extensive robotics capabilities.