Detroit-based drone inspection company Skypersonic has further prepared for its role in a simulated NASA Mars mission by testing its hallmark remote UAV and rover piloting system during trials on the Martian-esque terrain of Italy’s volcanic Mt. Etna.

Skypersonic performed the 15-day series of trials as part of the five-year partnership it struck last year with NASA to provide drone and rover tech for the agency’s simulated Mars mission. During the trials carried out in July, the company says it demonstrated the remote control viability of its software and hardware, after pilots based in Houston, TX put the flagship Skycopter UAV through the paces above Mt. Etna nearly half a world away.

Read: NASA developing drones to monitor potential volcano eruptions 

Among the tasks carried out on the surfaces of the active volcano was collection of rock samples by a Skypersonic terrestrial rover – an essential capability for any craft involved in Martian…

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Source: dronedj.com