Robotic exploration of Martian caves: Evaluating operational concepts through analog experiments in lava tubes

• Published in: Acta astronautica Vol. 223; pp. 741 - 758
• Main Authors: Morrell, Benjamin J., Saboia da Silva, Maira, Kaufmann, Marcel, Moon, Sangwoo, Kim, Taeyeon, Lei, Xianmei, Patterson, Christopher, Uribe, Jose, Vaquero, Tiago Stegun, Correa, Gustavo J., Clark, Lillian M., Agha, Ali, Blank, Jennifer G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2024
• Subjects: Autonomous robot operations; Mars cave exploration; Mission design; Multi-robot systems; Mission design; Multi-robot systems; Autonomous robot operations; Mars cave exploration
• ISSN: 0094-5765
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2024.07.041

Caves on Mars are a tantalizing target for exploration, as they could harbor evidence of extinct or extant life, clues to the planet’s geological history, and even potential future human habitation. However, the inherent challenges of navigating unknown and challenging terrain, coupled with limited communication capabilities, pose significant obstacles for robotic exploration in these caves. This paper presents the results of an effort to evaluate different operational concepts for a mission dedicated to exploration of caves on Mars. We conducted a series of analog exploration experiments in lava tubes on Earth, testing two hypotheses: (1) that two robots are more effective than one, and (2) that high levels of autonomy are more effective than low levels of autonomy. Our findings suggest that two robots are indeed more effective, except in low autonomy cases, where more operational resources are required. We also found that full autonomy is more efficient than low autonomy, as it enables quicker exploration and detection of targets of interest. However, the low autonomy cases benefited from the operator input to acquire higher quality data, an area of autonomy requiring further development. This paper provides insight into the design of our experiments, as well as detailing the results and implications for the design of future missions to explore caves on Mars. By shedding light on the operational concepts tested and their corresponding outcomes, we contribute to the knowledge base required to formulate optimal strategies for the realization of successful cave exploration missions on the Red Planet. [Display omitted] •We report on analog experiments for a multi-robot Martian cave exploration mission.•Full autonomy was shown to be more efficient than low autonomy (operator waypoints).•Two robots were shown to be more effective than one for scientific exploration.•Work is needed to improve autonomy for detailed scientific measurements.