N° 31–2022: Call for Media: ARCHES robotic demonstration of Mount Etna in Sicily

The ARCHES Space-Analog Demonstration is a multi-agency multi-robot project, led by DLR with significant ESA participation. The highlight will be a trio of live robotic tests taking place from 27 June to 1 July, 2 600 m up on the slopes of Mount Etna, in a 500mq area. Multiple rovers will be commanded with wireless connectivity from the city of Catania, 23 km away.

On 29 June, media will have the unique chance to join the robotic demonstration on Mount Etna, chosen for its similarities to the lunar surface, and to learn more about the project from participating experts from all across Europe.

About ARCHES

This campaign is part of ARCHES, standing for Autonomous Robotic Networks to Help Modern Societies. It is a German Hemholtz research centre ‘future project’, to develop diverse, autonomous and interconnected robotic systems for helping to explore harsh, vast environments, focused on space and deep sea exploration applications. With autonomous robot networks regarded as a key future technology, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Alfred Wegner Center (AWI), GEOMAR - Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are collaborating on realising and testing them.

The campaign’s live tests are based on a trio of scenarios, aligned with the projected evolution of lunar exploration:

• ‘Geological Mission I’ represents a time before the Lunar Gateway, with semi-autonomous lunar rovers overseen from Earth in their selection of geological samples.
• ‘Geological Mission II’ looks forward to a time after the Gateway is established, so that advanced high-fidelity telepresence and haptic feedback are available, used to retrieve caches of samples gathered in the previous mission. It is as part of this mission that ESA’s Analog-1 testing will be taking place.
• ‘Demonstration of the LoFar Demomission (ARCHES Mission Part III)’ foresees a period when astronauts and rovers work together on the lunar surface, focused on the task of installing an antenna in an optimal position for lunar astronomy.

ESA’s Analog-1

ESA is participating, joining the ARCHES Etna campaign to carry out the latest part of its Analog-1 test campaign, evaluating a system allowing astronauts in orbit to control rovers exploring planetary surfaces, employing haptic feedback so that a controller can feel whatever the rover touches.

ESA’s previous Analog-1 campaign in 2019 involved ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano in orbit aboard the International Space Station controlling the Interact rover in a simulated moonscape within a hangar in Netherlands. This time the same rover, will be controlled by astronaut Thomas Reiter from a room in the hotel in Catania, simulating the international Lunar Gateway station in orbit around the Moon. This activity is centred on Geological Mission II, although Thomas will also be overseeing the rover during Geological Mission I.

ESA’s ESOC mission control centre in Germany will adopt the role of ground control, coordinating the interaction between astronaut and scientists, and planning the rover’s longer traverses.

Programme                    

Wednesday, 29 June 2022

Place: Catania, Italy

Meeting point > Hotel Baia Verde Catania

8:30 Bus leave from Hotel Baia Verde, Catania
11:00 Arrival at site Geological Mission I
11:30 Tour of the site Geological Mission I
12:30 Lunch Break on Site Geological Mission I
13:00 Opportunity for 1:1 interviews
14:00 Robot Demonstrations
15:00 Coffee break @ Basecamp
15:30 Start bringing people down from basecamp
16:30 Bus leave from Funivia to Hotel Baia Verde
18:00 Arrival at Baia Verde and end of the activity

Trasfers from Baia Verde Hotel to Mount Etna and lunch break will be taken care. All the other costs and expenses for this media trip will have to be borne by the participating media.

ESA and DLR experts will be available for interviews on Mount Etna.

Media registration

Media representatives are invited to register at the following link by Friday, 24 June at 12:00 CEST the latest, specifying in the comment field the number of their team members and the equipment they will bring:
https://blogs.esa.int/forms/esa-media-briefing-form/

After registering, media will receive additional practical information on how the activity will run.

Contact

For further information, please contact ESA Newsroom and Media Relations Office – media@esa.int

Further information

ARCHES project: https://www.arches-projekt.de/en/demomission/space/

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int

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Images

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Search?SearchText=analog-1&result_type=images

ESA's photo library for professionals:

https://www.esa-photolibrary.com/

Terms and conditions for using ESA images:
www.esa.int/spaceinimages/ESA_Multimedia/Copyright_Notice_Images

For questions or more information related to ESA images, please contact directly spaceinimages@esa.int.

Videos

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Search?SearchText=analog-1&result_type=videos

ESA's Video Library for Professionals:

https://www.esa.int/esatv/Videos_for_Professionals

Terms and conditions for using ESA videos:https://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Terms_and_Conditions

For questions or more information related to ESA videos, please contact directly spaceinvideos@esa.int

About the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Slovenia, Latvia and Lithuania are Associate Members.

ESA has established formal cooperation with five Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int

For further information:

ESA Newsroom and Media Relations Office – Ninja Menning

Email: media@esa.int

Tel: +31 71 5656409