NASA je testirala prototip rovera ERNEST koji je tokom terenskih proba prešao 16 milja (oko 26 km) za 37 sati vožnje. Prototip, razvijen u JPL-u, dugačak je oko 1,2 m i ima četiri upravljiva točka za kretanje u svim pravcima. NASA tvrdi da ERNEST omogućava značajno bržu i autonomniju mobilnost u odnosu na Perseverance i Curiosity. Tehnologije razvijene na ERNEST-u mogle bi da unaprede buduće misije na Mesecu i Marsu, posebno u okviru programa Artemis.
ERNEST: NASA-in prototip rovera koji može promeniti istraživanje Meseca i Marsa
NASA released thousands of new photos taken during the Artemis II mission around the moon. The astronauts selected for the mission thoroughly documented the 10-day voyage, which included an April 6 lunar flyby as they traveled more than a quarter-million miles from Earth.(Provided by NASA)
NASA je na Zemlji testirala prototip rovera nazvan ERNEST (Exploration Rover for Navigating Extreme Sloped Terrain) kako bi ispitala tehnologije koje bi mogle značajno unaprediti buduće robote za Mesec i Mars.
Šta je ERNEST?
ERNEST je kompaktan, četvorotočkasti istraživački robot razvijen u Jet Propulsion Laboratory-ju (JPL) u južnoj Kaliforniji. Dugačak je oko 1,2 metra (4 stope) i opremljen četiri upravljiva točka koja mu omogućavaju kretanje u svim pravcima, uključujući bočno. Kao treći prototip u nizu, ERNEST služi za testiranje autonomnih sistema i upravljanja na ekstremnim nagibima i neravnom terenu.
Terenski testovi
U martu su inženjeri izveli sedmodnevni program demonstracija u pustinji Colorado, blizu Plaster Cityja u južnoj Kaliforniji. Tokom tih proba ERNEST je prešao 16 milja (oko 26 km) u 37 sati stvarnog vremena vožnje, uz, kako navodi NASA, minimalnu intervenciju tima. Tests su obuhvatili vožnju u sumrak, svitanje i potpunu tamu — simulirajući uslove koje roboti mogu sresti na Mesecu.
Tehničke osobine i prednosti
Prema NASA-i, ERNEST ima napredne mogućnosti autonomnog planiranja puta i bržu mobilnost u odnosu na prethodne rover-e poput Perseverance-a i Curiosity-ja. Agencija navodi da je ovaj prototip više od 10 puta brži u određenim režimima kretanja, a dizajn bi mogao da posluži kao osnova za veće i brže rover-e koji bi izvršavali duge, samostalne misije.
Zašto je to važno?
Tehnologije testirane na ERNEST-u mogle bi omogućiti narednim generacijama rover-a da dosegnu nepristupačna područja Meseca i Marsa, prikupljaju više podataka i podrže misije programa Artemis, uključujući logistiku za moguće buduće lunarne baze. Na Marsu bi bolje mobilne i autonomne platforme mogle povećati šanse za pronalazak dokaza ranijeg života ili složenijih geoloških struktura.
Projekt ERNEST je u razvoju od 2022. godine, a prototip sam po sebi nije predviđen za slanje u svemir. Umesto toga, ideje i rešenja dobijena tokom testova služe za dizajn sledeće generacije istraživačkih vozila.
NASA released thousands of new photos taken during the Artemis II mission around the moon. The astronauts selected for the mission thoroughly documented the 10-day voyage, which included an April 6 lunar flyby as they traveled more than a quarter-million miles from Earth.(Provided by NASA)
NASA released thousands of new photos taken during the Artemis II mission around the moon. The astronauts selected for the mission thoroughly documented the 10-day voyage, which included an April 6 lunar flyby as they traveled more than a quarter-million miles from Earth.(Provided by NASA)
NASA released thousands of new photos taken during the Artemis II mission around the moon. The astronauts selected for the mission thoroughly documented the 10-day voyage, which included an April 6 lunar flyby as they traveled more than a quarter-million miles from Earth.(Provided by NASA)
NASA released thousands of new photos taken during the Artemis II mission around the moon. The astronauts selected for the mission thoroughly documented the 10-day voyage, which included an April 6 lunar flyby as they traveled more than a quarter-million miles from Earth.(Provided by NASA)
NASA released thousands of new photos taken during the Artemis II mission around the moon. The astronauts selected for the mission thoroughly documented the 10-day voyage, which included an April 6 lunar flyby as they traveled more than a quarter-million miles from Earth.(Provided by NASA)
NASA released thousands of new photos taken during the Artemis II mission around the moon. The astronauts selected for the mission thoroughly documented the 10-day voyage, which included an April 6 lunar flyby as they traveled more than a quarter-million miles from Earth.(Provided by NASA)
NASA released thousands of new photos taken during the Artemis II mission around the moon. The astronauts selected for the mission thoroughly documented the 10-day voyage, which included an April 6 lunar flyby as they traveled more than a quarter-million miles from Earth.(Provided by NASA)
NASA released thousands of new photos taken during the Artemis II mission around the moon. The astronauts selected for the mission thoroughly documented the 10-day voyage, which included an April 6 lunar flyby as they traveled more than a quarter-million miles from Earth.(Provided by NASA)
NASA released thousands of new photos taken during the Artemis II mission around the moon. The astronauts selected for the mission thoroughly documented the 10-day voyage, which included an April 6 lunar flyby as they traveled more than a quarter-million miles from Earth.(Provided by NASA)
NASA released thousands of new photos taken during the Artemis II mission around the moon. The astronauts selected for the mission thoroughly documented the 10-day voyage, which included an April 6 lunar flyby as they traveled more than a quarter-million miles from Earth.(Provided by NASA)
NASA released thousands of new photos taken during the Artemis II mission around the moon. The astronauts selected for the mission thoroughly documented the 10-day voyage, which included an April 6 lunar flyby as they traveled more than a quarter-million miles from Earth.(Provided by NASA)
NASA released thousands of new photos taken during the Artemis II mission around the moon. The astronauts selected for the mission thoroughly documented the 10-day voyage, which included an April 6 lunar flyby as they traveled more than a quarter-million miles from Earth.(Provided by NASA)
NASA released thousands of new photos taken during the Artemis II mission around the moon. The astronauts selected for the mission thoroughly documented the 10-day voyage, which included an April 6 lunar flyby as they traveled more than a quarter-million miles from Earth.(Provided by NASA)
NASA released thousands of new photos taken during the Artemis II mission around the moon. The astronauts selected for the mission thoroughly documented the 10-day voyage, which included an April 6 lunar flyby as they traveled more than a quarter-million miles from Earth.(Provided by NASA)
During the field test, which took place in March 2026 in the Colorado Desert of Southern California, the JPL team deployed ERNEST at all times of the day, including dusk, dawn, and nighttime, when lighting conditions create long shadows like those seen on the moon's polar regions.
Developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, ERNEST (Exploration Rover for Navigating Extreme Sloped Terrain) is used in a desert field test to help refine mobility hardware and autonomy software that could be used for a potential future long-range lunar rover mission.
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