Mission to Mars: New Robot May Prepare Colony Before Humans Arrive

Scientists may have created a new type of robot for future human missions to Mars. They've developed a communication solution that can allow orbiting space stations to maintain uninterrupted contact with robots working on the surface of a planet.

The new technology is actually an important step for initiatives such as the human mission to Mars. Before humans can land on Mars, the planet needs infrastructure, such as housing and laboratories. These need to be built by robots that are controlled by astronauts from a space station orbiting the planet.

Astronauts can currently practice to control the robots on Earth from the International Space Station. Because the ISS is in constant orbit around Earth, though, astronauts frequently lose direct contact with the robot.

"Losing control of the robot during a critical task can cause damage to the task or the robot itself," said Ali Muhammad, one of the researchers, in a news release. "The UNISONO project has developed a solution which can keep the astronaut in constant contact with the robot during the entire orbit."

The time window for ISS to be in direct contact with a robot on Earth is much shorter than what is planned for an orbiter around Mars. In fact, researchers have shown that this time window can be widened by seamlessly switching between relaying stations on the ground. This allows astronauts to realistically simulate future robotic missions on Mars, the moon or other heavenly bodies.

The new findings could be huge when it comes to developing a mission for Mars. With that said, it will still be quite some time before we'll see a human on the surface of the Red Planet.

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