--- title: "NASA Shows Off Transforming Rover for Exploring Steep Cliffs on Mars" description: "NASA's four-wheeled rover called DuAxel can split into two separate two-wheeled rovers, and is intended to explore hard to reach places in faraway places." date: "2020-10-13" modified: "2020-10-13" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-transforming-rover-mars" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "JPL" - "NASA" - "rover" - "the digest" --- # NASA Shows Off Transforming Rover for Exploring Steep Cliffs on Mars ![NASA's four-wheeled rover called DuAxel can split into two separate two-wheeled rovers, and is intended to explore hard to reach places in faraway places.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## DuAxel NASA [just showed off]() a four-wheeled rover, dubbed DuAxel, that can split into two separate two-wheeled rovers. The spunky bot is designed to one day explore some of the toughest terrains on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The design offers some crucial advantages over its bulky, six-wheeled cousins. By planting half of itself into the ground, a second single axle can detach itself and rappel itself down steep slopes via an attached wire, as shown in this NASA video. https://youtu.be/GUNWVroyys4?list=PLTiv_XWHnOZrYd-KzoO0iMa-Tja-fer2S ## Tether Trick NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab already tested such a scenario during a field experiment in the Mojave Desert where it "performed extremely well," [according to JPL robotics technologist Issa Nesnas](). "Axel then autonomously maneuvered down steep and rocky slopes, deploying its instruments without the necessity of a robotic arm," he said. The rover's four-wheel configuration could cover long distances, while the two-wheeled versions could explore geographic features never traveled before. "DuAxel opens up access to more extreme terrain on planetary bodies such as the Moon, Mars, Mercury, and possibly some icy worlds, like Jupiter's moon Europa," Nesnas said. ## Never-Flip On two wheels, it's basically impossible to immobilize it. "This is why I find the Axel rover to be quite delightful," JPL planetary geologist Laura Kerber mused. "Instead of always trying to safeguard itself against dangers such as falling or flipping over, it is designed to withstand them." We've already spotted some cool features DuAxel could explore. For instance, satellite imagery shows dark features on the surface of Mars that suggest the existence of crater walls that are too steep for conventional rovers to conquer. **READ MORE:** [This Transforming Rover Can Explore the Toughest Terrain]() \[JPL\] **More on Mars robots:** *[This Wiggly Mars Rover Is the Silliest Thing We've Ever Seen]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()