NASA demos RASSOR their “Blue collar” robot that will mine Mars for rocket fuel
NASA is prepping robots for Mars so humans can get on with the important stuff A NASA robot which is programmed to dig for water, oxygen and rocket fuel could be the first step in colonising Mars - whether that's via a NASA mission, or, as is more probable in a public private partnership with companies such as SpaceX whose founder Elon Musk recently announced he intends to put man on Mars within the next six years.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2016) 'NASA demos RASSOR their “Blue collar” robot that will mine Mars for rocket fuel', 311 Institute, 5 October. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/nasa-demos-rassor-their-blue-collar-robot-that-will-mine-mars-for-rocket-fuel/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
NASA is prepping robots for Mars so humans can get on with the important stuff
A NASA robot which is programmed to dig for water, oxygen and rocket fuel could be the first step in colonising Mars - whether that's via a NASA mission, or, as is more probable in a public private partnership with companies such as SpaceX whose founder Elon Musk recently announced he intends to put man on Mars within the next six years.
The Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR) is intended to be the first of a wave of worker robots that will be sent to the red planet and once these machines are able to ascertain what resources they can get from Mars, they can stockpile them ready for human visitors.
RASSOR rolls on drums as opposed to wheels to allow it to to excavate surface soil and create traction for mobility and the clip below shows RASSOR digging with MARCO POLO and the Mars Pathfinder to gather soil and place it into an oven for processing.
RASSOR will work 16 hours a day and can move up to 2.8st in weight, travelling five times faster than the Mars Curiosity Rover.
As the NASA STI paper states regarding a Martian colony:
"The crew is there to explore, and to colonize, not maintain and repair. Any time spent on 'living there' and 'housekeeping' should be minimized to an oversight role of robotic automated tasks."
FAQ
Why does this matter?
NASA is prepping robots for Mars so humans can get on with the important stuff A NASA robot which is programmed to dig for water, oxygen and rocket fuel could be the first step in colonising Mars - whether that's via a NASA mission, or, as is more probable in a public private partnership with companies such as SpaceX whose founder Elon Musk recently announced he intends to put man on Mars within the next six years.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on space and the future of your organisation.
Sources and further reading
- NASA STI paper ntrs.nasa.gov
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 5 October 2016. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2016). NASA demos RASSOR their “Blue collar” robot that will mine Mars for rocket fuel. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/nasa-demos-rassor-their-blue-collar-robot-that-will-mine-mars-for-rocket-fuel/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.