Researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory monitor a research drone in this September 2025 photo. This flight occurred in Dumont Dunes, an area of the Mojave Desert, as part of a larger test campaign to develop navigation software that would guide future rotorcraft on Mars. The work was among 25 projects funded by NASA’s Mars Exploration Program this past year to push the limits of future technologies.
Whether it’s new navigation software, slope-scaling robotic scouts, or long-distance gliders, the technology being developed by the Mars Exploration Program envisions a future where robots can explore all on their own — or even help astronauts do their work.
Read more about the drone flight software test.
Text credit: NASA/Andrew Good
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
在这张拍摄于2025年9月的照片中，NASA喷气推进实验室（JPL）的研究人员正在监测试验无人机的飞行。此次飞行在莫哈韦沙漠的杜蒙沙丘进行，是一项更大规模测试活动的一部分，旨在开发未来火星旋翼飞行器的导航软件。本研究属于过去一年NASA火星探测计划支持的25个项目之一，这些项目旨在突破未来技术的极限。
无论是全新的导航软件、能攀爬坡度的机器人侦察机，还是可进行远距离飞行的滑翔器，火星探测计划正在研发的技术共同描绘了一个未来画面：机器人能够完全自主探索火星——甚至协助宇航员开展工作。
文字来源: NASA/Andrew Good
图片来源: NASA/JPL-Caltech
