NASA has shown off a new squishy, prototype rover that could potentially land on Titan. The rover, called Super Ball Bot, uses cable tension to absorb blows and roll around meaning that it wouldn’t require the usual airbags or parachutes to land. Since the robot collapses into a smaller shape, NASA could pack multiple units into one spacecraft and study more of the moon’s surface.
Landing a rover on another planet has never been easy. Even at its best, the process can require careful choreography of multiple landing stages and involve parachutes, airbags, and retrorockets. Once you’ve landed, your wheeled spacecraft will face obstacles of its own, including steep terrain and sand traps.
