(June 26, 2007)

A new MarsYard to test the mobility and autonomy of future Mars rovers was unveiled at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on June 19, 2007, is six times larger than the previous MarsYard. More info >>

(June 13, 2007)

JPL released a rover control software developed under the Mars Technology Program called CLARAty. CLARAty stands for Coupled-Layer Architecture for Robotic Autonomy. More info >>

(March 26, 2007)

Recent imaging by the MRO HiRISE Camera in support of Phoenix mission landing site selection activities has revealed high concentrations of boulders near the North Pole of Mars. These areas had previously been considered benign for spacecraft landing.

A rock detection and mapping system developed under the Mars Technology Program has been tested recently against manually measured rocks counts for potential Phoenix landing site and multiple tests indicate close agreement. A tiled-process scheme developed under this work allows processing very large HiRISE images, e.g. image PSP_1946 which is 20048 by 60000 pixels (1.2 GB) or 6.2 by 18.6 km (115 km2), in only a few minutes using a conventional laptop/desktop computer. For PDF, please click here.

(March 13, 2007)

Mars Technology Program issued a call via the NASA ROSES NRA in February of 2007. This call is for instrument development that supports the second decade Mars missions such as Mars Science Orbiter (2013), Astrobiology Field Laboratory (AFL), Scout, Network Mission, and Scout Missions. Mars Instrument Development Project (MIDP) solicits proposals for research and development to take promising instruments from breadboard level (TRL 3, 4) to systems-level prototypes (TRL 6) that can be tested under realistic conditions in terrestrial environment. For PDF, please click here.

(February 12, 2007)

NASA's twin Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, nearing the third anniversary of their landings, are getting smarter as they get older. (External Release)

(February 12, 2007)

Since the Electra radio is programmable, an algorithm that continuously monitors the received signal strength and autonomously adapts the communications data rate was developed, tested and implemented on Electra. This technology has already been adopted by the Mars Science Laboratory. Using this technique, the returned data volume will be increased by up to 80% without any hardware modifications to Electra. For PDF, please click here.

(February 12, 2007)

The Aeroflex RadHard PWM5031 High Speed PWM Controller is now commercially available (http://www.utmc.com/ProductFiles/News/PWM5032Press.pdf) NASA & aerospace community can buy the PWM for use in efficient, rad-hard DC/DC converters on spacecraft and instruments (consumes 10 mW, tolerates >100krad). The PWM is already baselined for the LWS Geospace RBSP spacecraft and payload, and in several proposals to the recent Discovery and Mars Scout AOs. For PDF, please click here.

(September 22, 2006)

AEXS is an in situ instrument for the determination of surface elemental composition using energy-dispersive XRF analysis, of samples in planetary atmosphere with no or little sample preparation. AEXS is being developed at JPL funded by the Mars Instrument Development Project (MIDP), and element of the Base Technology Program. More info >>

(July, 2006)

NASA scientists plan to drill someday into the surface of Mars to look for water and signs of possible life. So, scientists are developing an automated, unmanned drill rig that can operate totally on its own, unsupervised for hours at a time. (External Release)

(April 20, 2006)

The Mars Technology Program Coupled Layer Architecture for Autonomy (CLARAty) team at JPL has been selected by NASA's Office of Program and Analysis and Evaluation as the recipient of the JPL One NASA Center Best Award. The award recognizes contributions to overall NASA Strategic Goals, a One NASA integrated approach to problem solving, program management and decision-making, and the level of complexity involved. CLARAty provides a NASA-wide framework for the development, integration, and validation of future advanced robotics software, as will enable increasingly capable planetary surface exploration and other related NASA missions. CLARAty work is led by JPL's Dr. Issa Nesnas, with participation in software development and testing by several NASA centers and university partners under MTP NRA funding. For additional information, go to:
http://www.onenasa.nasa.gov/TRIBUTES/Award_winners.htm
For PDF, please click here.

(February 24, 2006)

The Optical Navigation Camera is functioning as predicted on approach to Mars on the MRO spacecraft. It is sensitive to trajectory errors at about the 1 microradian level. More info >>

(February 23, 2006)

The Mars Technology Program (NASA/JPL) has successfully tested a capture cone prototype aboard the NASA C-9 "weightless wonder" aircraft. More info >>

(February 21 - March 6, 2006)

The Mars Technology Program will be conducting a deep drilling field test in Idaho Falls February 21 - March 6, 2006. Raytheon-UTD and Swales Aerospace will be evaluating the performance of their deep drilling prototype systems in dry, homogeneous basalts to depths up to 20 m.

(June 27, 2005)

The Mars Technology Program (NASA/JPL) announces its intent to sponsor a field test/demonstration for robotic drills designed for use at Mars (and/or the Moon). This field test will be part of a periodic series of Earth field tests at Mars analog sites that are collectively intended to support the progressive development of subsurface access systems, and to establish the necessary confidence by mission planners in such systems. More info >>

(December 10, 2004)

Honeybee Robotics was awarded funding for the Corer/Abrader development tool to develop a brassboard system to demonstrate coring and abrading for possible use by the MSL project. More info >>

(September 15, 2004)

The MSL Focused Technology program has successfully completed the Hot Fire Test campaign for the MSL throttle-able descent engine development unit #1 on September 15, 2004. More info >>

(August 27, 2004)

JPL-led Engine Development team has successfully completed fabrication and integration of a proof-of-concept 3000N thrust throttleable engine planned to be the descent engine for the Mars Science Laboratory mission. More info >>

(August 27, 2004)

JPL-led Subsonic Parachute Development team has successfully completed the first of three high altitude drop tests of a 110 ft. dia. ringsail parachute designed and built by Pioneer Aerospace. More info >>

(August 12, 2004)

NASA selected a data visualization and simulation software package used by Mars rovers and landers, and a software package that can be used in aerospace and industrial flow fluid applications, as the "best of the best" software developed by the agency this year. More info >>

(August 12, 2004)

The Mars Technology Program is soliciting proposals for a Corer Abrader tool that could be used on future Mars missions, including but not limited to the proposed Mars Science Laboratory 2009 mission.

(July 30, 2004)

NASA's Mars Exploration Program (MEP) calls for a series of highly ambitious missions over the next decade and beyond. The overall goals of the MEP must be achieved with relatively low mission risk and within tightly constrained cost resources. More info >>

(April 21, 2004)

Explore Mars with the program that NASA scientists use to operate Spirit. Download Maestro, and look at Mars the way NASA does. Then, Download the first Mars data.

(April 2004)

In April 2004, Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) project announced solicitation for science instruments to explore and quantitatively assess a potential habitat on Mars. More info >>