According to NASA, researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have successfully tested a new rover prototype in the Colorado Desert near Plaster City, California. The four-wheeled rover, called ERNEST—short for Exploration Rover for Navigating Extreme Sloped Terrain—demonstrated advanced autonomous navigation capabilities during field trials in March twenty twenty-six. The test served as a validation platform for new autonomy software that could help future rovers explore challenging terrain with minimal human intervention.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton