After three decades of research, NASA has unveiled the DuAxel rover, a groundbreaking project designed to access the most challenging terrains on the Red Planet. This innovative vehicle can split into two parts, enabling it to rappel down steep craters.
NASA relies on rovers to explore distant planets and collect surface samples. While these technological marvels pack advanced capabilities, their mobility has traditionally been limited. Consider the Perseverance rover, en route to Mars with its companion, the Ingenuity helicopter, set to achieve the first powered flight on another planet.
As detailed in a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) statement from October 13, 2020, the agency is developing a new rover prototype: the DuAxel. At first glance, it resembles familiar four-wheeled rovers, but its operational ingenuity sets it apart.
JPL images, featured below, highlight the DuAxel's remarkable flexibility and versatility. The rear section anchors to the ground while the front detaches and rappels into a crater, connected by a robust tether. Field tests in California's Mojave Desert proved successful, with the rover navigating autonomously and retracting via the cable for ascent.
Such capabilities are essential, as current rovers like Perseverance cannot sample crater walls on Mars. On Earth and other worlds, the most valuable geological insights come from exposed rocky outcrops and cliffs, revealing layered histories of planetary evolution.
Project leads envision DuAxel extending beyond Mars to extreme environments on the Moon, Mercury, or Jupiter's icy moon Europa. In 2017, NASA and ESA announced plans for a joint Europa rover mission—DuAxel could be a prime candidate.
View images of the DuAxel rover in action below:
