NASA Concludes Robotics Tests for the Moon in Arizona

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA has concluded two weeks
of technology development tests on two of the agency's prototype lunar rovers.
The Desert RATS -- or Research and Technology Studies -- in the Arizona desert
at Black Point Lava Flow allow NASA to analyze and refine technologies and
procedures in extreme environments on Earth.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO)

"These tests provide us with crucial information about how our cutting edge
vehicles perform in field situations approximating the moon," said Rob
Ambrose, Human Robotic Systems project lead at NASA's Johnson Space Center in
Houston. "We learn from them, then go back home to refine the technology and
plan the next focus of our research."

The annual studies featured an intensive, simulated 14-day mission. Two crew
members, an astronaut and a geologist, lived for more than 300 hours inside
NASA's prototype Lunar Electric Rover. The explorers scouted the area for
features of geological interest, then donned spacesuits and conducted
simulated moonwalks to collect samples. The crew also docked to a simulated
habitat, drove the rover across difficult terrain, performed a rescue mission
and made a four-day traverse across the lava.

Throughout the test, the crew provided updates via Twitter and posted pictures
and video online. To see the images and videos and read about the simulated
mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/analogs

Prior to the test, NASA's K10 scout robot identified areas of interest for the
crew to explore. NASA's heavy-lift rover Tri-ATHLETE -- or All-Terrain
Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer -- carried a habitat mockup to which the
rover docked.

The Desert RATS tests have been held for more than a decade, as engineers from
NASA centers work with representatives from industry and academia to determine
what will be needed for human exploration of the moon and other destinations
in the solar system. This year's work built on the investigations of previous
years and increased the scope and length of the tests.

Eight NASA centers were involved in the project. Desert RATS participants from
outside NASA include the Smithsonian Institution in Washington; the United
States Geological Survey in Flagstaff, Ariz.; Arizona State University in
Tempe; University of Texas at El Paso; University of Colorado at Denver; Brown
University in Providence, R.I.; the Mars Institute at Moffett Field, Calif.;
and the Challenger Center for Space Science Education in Alexandria, Va.

For more information about NASA's exploration efforts, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration

SOURCE NASA

Ashley Edwards, ashley.edwards-1@nasa.gov, or Grey Hautaluoma,
grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov, both of Headquarters, Washington, +1-202-358-1756
or +1-202-358-0668, or Brandi Dean, Johnson Space Center, Houston,
+1-281-244-1403, brandi.k.dean@nasa.gov, all of NASA