It has now been 50 years since NASA astronauts last set foot on the Moon, but a return mission might soon be in the offing. This time, though, human explorers aren’t likely to be alone. The Space and Terrestrial Robotic Exploration (SpaceTREx) Laboratory at the University of Arizona, headed by aerospace engineer Jekan Thanga, is currently developing swarms of autonomous robots capable of constructing bases and mining for resources on celestial bodies like the Moon, Mars, or asteroids. He is teaming up with mining engineer Moe Momayez to develop specialized drilling tools to mount on these space robots, which could one day make prolonged space exploration more practical.

Space Robots