Lunar Robots Tested on Active Volcano

Researchers from the German Aerospace Center have been testing their lunar exploration robots on one of the world’s most active volcanoes, Mount Etna in Italy. The two lightweight rover units LRU1 and LRU2 spent part of June roaming the moon-like terrain of the volcano, with engineers testing their ability to navigate the uneven ground as autonomously as possible. According to the team, Mount Etna was selected as a trial site given its geographical similarities to the moon, in particular its “lava landscapes and granular surface.”