#rovers

All articles tagged with "rovers"

Artist's illustration of Mars approximately four billion years ago. (Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser)

Mars likely had water, but not tides strong enough to sculpt much of its shoreline record

A new modeling study suggests tides in ancient Martian water bodies were probably too weak to serve as a primary force behind sedimentary structures seen in Gale Crater and Utopia Planitia.

Key Takeaways

Researchers modeled tidal behavior in ancient Martian waters at two rover-linked sites.
Maximum tide speeds were estimated at roughly 0.01 meters per second.

DT Editorial Team·May 13, 2026·via universetoday.com

Study Suggests Coarser Lunar Soil Near the Moon’s South Pole Could Support Rover Roads

Researchers using lunar regolith simulant say less weathered, coarser-grained soil similar to material expected near the Moon’s south polar region may be suitable for rover traffic without raising major dust clouds.

Key Takeaways

Researchers presented evidence that immature lunar regolith may support rover travel with limited dust generation.
The work is relevant to south polar missions tied to Artemis and other lunar base plans.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 19, 2026·via universetoday.com