2 Min ReadDesert Field Test With NASA Advanced Rover PrototypePIA26701Credits: NASA/JPL-CaltechPhotojournal NavigationSciencePhotojournalDesert Field Test With NASA…Photojournal HomePhotojournal SearchLatest ContentGalleriesFeedbackRSSAbout DownloadsDesert Field Test With NASA Advanced Rover PrototypePNG (27.94 MB)PIA26701 Figure AJPEG (26.03 MB)PIA26701 Figure BJPEG (951.75 KB)PIA26701 Figure CJPEG (16.03 MB)PIA26701 Figure DJPEG (16.46 MB)DescriptionA prototype four-wheel rover developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory with advanced mobility and robotic autonomy capabilities trundled across the Colorado Desert near Plaster City, California, during a field test in March 2026. Called ERNEST (Exploration Rover for Navigating Extreme Sloped Terrain), the rover served here as a testbed for autonomy software developed for a potential lunar mission requiring higher speeds and much greater mileage than can be achieved with current planetary rovers.ERNEST was trailed by engineers as it traveled about 16 miles over the course of 37 hours of drive time. That’s more than 10 times the speed at which NASA’s Perseverance rover can navigate on Mars. The team also tested how well the rover traveled at dusk, dawn, and nighttime to simulate the experience of large terrain shadows in polar regions on the Moon.Figure AFigure A shows the rover traveling toward its shadow.Figure BFigure B shows two team members setting up illuminators on the rover at night.Figure CFigure C shows three team members observing the rover during its long-range traverse.Figure DFigure D shows the rover with one wheel up on a rock.Work on ERNEST began in 2022 and was initially supported by JPL internal research and development funds. It is currently funded by NASA’s Mars Exploration Program and the agency’s Exploration Science Strategy Integration Office under its Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages JPL for NASA.Keep ExploringDiscover More Topics From PhotojournalPhotojournalSearch PhotojournalPhotojournal’s Latest ContentFeedback