MOUNT ETNA, Italy (Reuters) — A robot scuttles across a dry and arid moonscape but it is not in outer space, it is on Europe’s most active volcano, Mount Etna, which is being used for research by the German Aerospace Center, testing robots ahead of the next mission to the moon.
A variety of experts from Germany, England, the United States and Italy are involved in Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments, which aims not only to improve robotic equipment for use in space but also to explore the depths of Mount Etna and relay back vital technical data on seismic movement.
The techniques learnt on Etna would then be deployed in lunar missions or in the exploration of Mars, explained Boris Behncke, a vulcanologist from the National Vulcanology Institute in Catania.
An initial robotic testing phase has nearly been completed on the Piano del Lago area of the volcano, a desolate, sparse stretch of terrain buffeted by strong, warm winds.
Next, a network of equipment including rover robots and drones will be mounted to monitor seismic activity that closely simulates that which would be used on the moon.
Researcher from the German Aerospace Center, Armin Wedler, said that the Apollo 14 and 16 missions to the moon had thrown up many facts that need more extensive research.
The under-surface structure of the moon is not uniform and more investigation is needed to discover the different thickness of materials that make up the moon’s lower strata.
Experiments on Mount Etna will enable scientists to hone the equipment for the next lunar mission and also provide some valuable data on Mount Etna’s seismic activity in the process.