Drone Prototypes Face Tough Icelandic Conditions During Test

If testing in Iceland this summer is successful, robots and drone prototypes working together will aid the exploration of rocky places like the moon and Mars.

“I’ve never seen such crazy winds in my life,” planetary geologist Catherine Neish, at Canada’s Western University, said. “Drones cannot fly in high wind conditions, and in this case, it was so high we didn’t want people out there either,” Neish tole Space.com, indicating that the storm was approaching hurricane strength.

The storm was unlike anything ever seen on Mars. However, the circumstance demonstrated how robots and people alike could withstand harsh conditions, according to Neish. This is vital preparation for getting drones and rovers functioning alongside human aids on the moon, Mars, and other rocky planets.

Already, Iceland has shown to be an excellent location for carrying out analog missions, which are endeavors to simulate, to the…