NASA engineers tested the first robotic moon rover last week as its prototype practiced descending off a test model of a lunar lander ramp at the Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley.
Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover is a mobile robot that will go to the moon's south pole in search of water. The testing is a critical step for the rover's trip to ensure its smooth exit from the lander on the moon.
"We're trying to make sure we understand all the little challenges of coming off the ramps," she said. "One of the things we learned is that we're pretty good at being able to egress," Martinez said. According to her, the egress can be complicated, and the team needs to pay attention to a lot of different things to make it happen.
The rover will have three spectrometers and one drill. The drill will take samples at different depths and put them at the bottom of the rover for the spectrometers to look at and measure the concentration of water.
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