Perseverance
NASA JPL·USA·2021·Sample coring and caching
Space Collection
Robots in Space
Machines designed for environments that reject us.
3 robots·10 min read·Space
Featured robots
Ranked entries in this collection.
Perseverance Curiosity 
Curiosity
NASA JPL·USA·2012·Surface mobility
Opportunity 
Opportunity
NASA JPL·USA·2004·Surface mobility
Space robotics is patience engineered — latency, radiation, dust, and irreversible failure modes.
This exhibit follows the platforms that made remote worlds workable: Mars rovers that drive for years, and orbital arms that assemble and service habitats in microgravity.
“In space, every joint is a mission-critical decision.”
3Robots
1Companies
5Technologies
2Countries
Key insights
Autonomy first
Light-minutes of delay force onboard perception, planning, and fault recovery.
Extreme reliability
Dust, radiation, and thermal swing leave almost no room for field repair.
Dual theaters
Planetary mobility and orbital manipulation evolved as separate, equally hard crafts.
Timeline
- 1981
Canadarm debut
Shuttle remote manipulator system makes orbital handling routine.
- 1997
Sojourner on Mars
The first successful rover proves wheeled autonomy on another world.
- 2001
Canadarm2 on ISS
Station robotics become permanent infrastructure in orbit.
- 2004
MER twins
Spirit and Opportunity rewrite expectations for mission lifetime.
- 2012
Curiosity lands
A nuclear-powered lab-on-wheels begins Gale Crater science.
- 2021
Perseverance + Ingenuity
Sample caching and powered flight arrive together on Mars.
Related
Companies
Related Collections
AIMost Advanced AI Robots
Where learning systems meet physical bodies.
10 min read
AIFuture of Robotics
Where the museum points next.
8 min read
HistoryMost Influential Robots
Machines that changed culture, industry, or both.
9 min read
Continue Exploring
Keep browsing the robotics knowledge graph.