There are several state-of-the-art test rigs and facilities at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) operated by GRC’s mTRAX Planetary Exploration team. Most of the facilities are located in the Engine Research Building (ERB). These rigs serve to test planetary roving vehicle systems and components in simulated planetary and lunar conditions. Most of the test capabilities are focused on the interactions between rover components (such as tires and excavation tools) and the terrain, though there are environmental test capabilities as well. A few examples of ongoing research in these labs includes conducting full-scale vehicle mobility tests to determine new methods for traversing challenging terrain, evaluating the performance of novel rover tires in lunar and Martian environments, and testing various excavation techniques for digging on the Moon.
