Innovative Solution Mitigates Lunar Rover Loss in Solar-Powered Missions

Researchers at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have developed a new approach to reduce the risk of losing solar-powered rovers on the moon. The approach involves a recovery policy that maximizes the probability of safely leaving permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) on the moon, where rovers can run out of energy. The researchers quantified the probability of losing rovers in these shadowed areas and devised a planning method that proactively accounts for navigation delays. The approach could be applied to future lunar missions and improve the success of solar-powered rover exploration.