And you were impressed when you drove your car all the way to the end of the neighborhood! NASA has been driving rovers on earth from the International Space Station, using real-time telemetry and a video assist to help guide the interplanetary rock crawlers. Of course, “real time” takes on a different meaning due to the transmission lag time between Earth and something even as “close” as the moon, which is why NASA is experimenting with control from space. By operating rovers on the moon or another planet from an orbit around said moon or planet, rover exploration could be conducted in real time. Or, astronauts could explore asteroids or other space stuff they can’t otherwise land on, and exploit other advantages too. Read the full story here, and for more info about the K10 rover itself, click here or on the pic below.
