Robots will be our agents of planetary surface and deep space exploration, handling the repetitive and time-consuming tasks of data collection and data reduction. Teams of robots will survey vast regions, cataloging and classifying geological features and formations and searching for evidence of life, all the while tailoring their investigations to what they discover and seeking opportunities to discover more. Robots will be humankind's agents and partners in space, constructing and servicing orbital and surface facilities with millions of components. They will operate on distant planets, using high-level directives, responding to and interacting with humans.
Our approach to achieving this vision is research, education, and manifestation of intelligent space robotics. Our center focuses on breakthroughs in robotics technology relevant to NASA missions and delivers the next generation of space roboticists.
A white paper on an Intelligent Space Robotics center is available.