Mars harbours one of the most profound mysteries in our solar system under the dusty layers of its surface: an extensive underground complex of lava tubes that spans over 746 miles long. Created by volcanic eruptions that occurred millions of years ago, these caves can protect microbes from the harmful effects of radiation on Mars – perhaps even serving to house future human inhabitants – but investigating them has not been possible until now.
Nature-Inspired Robots for the Red Planet
According to the report, Mostafa Hassanalian, an associate professor at New Mexico Tech, is developing a two-tier robotic system rooted in biomimicry, engineering solutions that mimic nature. The first component is a “roly-poly robot,” modelled on the pillbug, which rolls into a ball and parachutes down through a collapsed ceiling opening, or “skylight,” in a Martian lava tube. Once inside, it releases thousands of tiny “dandelion drones” — microscale flyers powered by piezoelectricity from flexible polymers. Painted white to reflect heat and reduce weight, they ride Mars’ powerful subterranean winds for miles, mapping the tunnels as they go.
Racing to Unlock Mars’ Underground
The present-day rovers, such as Curiosity and Perseverance, which weigh about the same as school buses, can’t fit into any lava tubes, but there is no doubt that the research of those tunnels is crucial to scientists. Scientists have obtained information about how much the temperature of the interior of such lava tubes differs from the outside environment by analysing data from thermometers on collapsed roofs of volcanoes. Hassanalian is not the only scientist working in this area — researchers from Europe tested out robots in lava tubes in Lanzarote, and NASA plans to explore the Arsia Mons volcano.
