Space-Mining-and-Robotics-Survey

Note: If a paper has too many author affiliations, we will only list the first three affiliations.

1 Space Mining Paper List

• A Review of Extra-Terrestrial Mining Robot Concepts, 2012,Earth and Space, NASA, Colorado School of Mines.
• 太空采矿发展现状、机遇和挑战, 2022, 中国矿业大学学报, 中国矿业大学.
• Space Mining is Coming: Implications for Space Exploration and Terrestrial Mining, 2023, World Mining Congress, NASA.
• 深空物质资源利用现状与展望, 2023, 科技导报, 中国深空探测实验室.
• 从地球到月球：采矿机器人关键技术研究与展望, 2025, 中南大学学报(自然科学版), 中南大学.
• 星表规模化资源采集机器人研究进展及发展趋势, 2025, 机器人, 北京航空航天大学, 广东工业大学, 中国空间技术研究院.
• A framework for the economic evaluation of lunar mining projects, 2026, Space and Planetary Resources, University of Zurich, ETH.

2 Space Robot Discover, Progress, and Plan

2.1 Discover and Progress

• Mars exploration rover mobility development, 2006, RAM, NASA, Caltech.
• Spacecraft sample collection and subsurface excavation of asteroid (101955) Bennu, 2022, Science, University of Arizona, KinetX, University of Central Florida.
• A 2-year locomotive exploration and scientific investigation of the lunar farside by the yutu-2 rover, 2022, Science Robotics,HIT, Beijing Aerospace Control Center, Ryerson University.
• Surface characteristics of the zhurong mars rover traverse at utopia planitia, 2022, Nature Geoscience, HIT, Beijing Aerospace Control Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
• Autonomous robotics is driving Perseverance rover's progress on Mars, 2023, Science Robotics, Caltech.
• Mars’ surface radiation environment measured with the Mars Science Laboratory’s Curiosity rover, 2023, Science, Southwest Research Institute, Christian Albrechts Universit, NASA.
• Lunar rock investigation and tri-aspect characterization of lunar farside regolith by a digital twin, 2024, Nature Communications, HIT, Beijing Aerospace Control Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

2.2 Plan

• Autonomous surface sampling for the Europa Lander mission concept, 2025, Science Robotics, Caltech.

2.3 Soil Sampling

• Path to autonomous soil sampling and analysis by ground-based robots, 2026, Journal of Environmental Management, Carnegie Mellon University, Chevron Technology Center.

2.4

3 Space Robot Paper List

Remote Sensing

• 月球探测遥感影像匹配方法研究综述
• 月球探测中遥感制图的几何精度问题, 2025, 遥感学报, 中国科学院空天信息创新研究院.

Landing

• 嫦娥六号着陆点高精度视觉定位,
• 基于多源影像的探测器月面着陆点定位与精度验证

3.1 Survey Paper

• Space robotics in Europe: A survey, 1998, RAS, ESA/ESTEC.
• A survey of space robotics, 2003, International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation in Space, NASA, CMU.
• Robot mobility systems for planetary surface exploration: state-of-the-art and future outlook: a literature survey, 2010, Aerospace Technologies Advancements, DLR.
• Review on space robotics: Toward top-level science through space exploration, 2017, Science Robotics, University of Surrey, Caltech.
• High‐speed mobility on planetary surfaces: A technical review, 2019, JFR, Tohoku University, European Space Agency.
• Review on planetary regolith-sampling technology, 2021, Progress in Aerospace Sciences, HIT, Beihang University, Guangdong University of Technology.
• 星表移动探测机器人研究现状综述, 2021, 宇航学报, 重庆大学.
• A review of sampling exploration and devices for extraterrestrial celestial bodies, 2022, Space Science Reviews, Shenzhen University.
• Semantic terrain segmentation in the navigation vision of planetary rovers—A systematic literature review, 2022, Sensors, Cranfield University, Civil Aviation University of China.
• Special spherical mobile robot for planetary surface exploration: A review, 2023, International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, China Coal Research Institute, Beijing Normal University.
• Exploring beyond Earth using space robotics, 2024, Science Robotics, Caltech, European Space Agency.
• A Comprehensive Review of Path-Planning Algorithms for Planetary Rover Exploration, 2025, Remote Sensing, Deep Space Exploration Laboratory, China.
• Survey on AI-Enabled Computer Vision Technologies and Applications for Space Robotic Missions, 2026, JFR, GMV Innovating Solutions Sp. z o.o, Airspeed 2, University of Surre.
• The Evolution of Autonomous Systems for Planetary Cave Exploration: A Review, 2026, JFR, University of Glasgow.

3.2 Mechanisms & Control

3.2.1 Robot and Mechanisms

• What really happened on mars rover pathfinder, 1997, The Risks Digest.
• Experimental study on autonomous burrowing screw robot for subsurface exploration on the Moon, 2008, IROS, JAXA.
• Development of the six-legged walking and climbing robot SpaceClimber, 2012, JFR, DFKI.
• Development and field testing of the FootFall planning system for the ATHLETE robots, 2012, JFR, NASA, Stanford University, Caltech.
• Axel and DuAxel rovers for the sustainable exploration of extreme terrains, 2012, JFR, Caltech.
• Development of a Transformable Three-wheeled Lunar Rover: Tri-Star IV, 2013, JFR, Chiba Institute of Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Service Oriented Robotic Architecture for Space Robotics: Design, Testing, and Lessons Learned, 2013, JFR, CMU, NASA.
• Reconfigurable Integrated Multirobot Exploration System (RIMRES): Heterogeneous Modular Reconfigurable Robots for Space Exploration, 2013, JFR, DFKI.
• Scalability analysis of legged robots for space exploration, 2017, International Astronautical Congress, ETH.
• Cataglyphis: An autonomous sample return rover, 2018, JFR, West Virginia University.
• Efficient gait selection for quadrupedal robots on the moon and mars, 2018, i-SAIRAS, ETH.
• Spacebok: A dynamic legged robot for space exploration, 2019, ICRA, ETH.
• Developing a Mining Robot for Mars Exploitation: NASA Robotics Mining Competition (RMC), 2020, IJACSA, Texas A&M International University.
• Wheels' performance of Mars exploration rovers: Experimental study from the perspective of terramechanics and structural mechanics, 2020, Journal of Terramechanics, HIT, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering.
• High-fidelity dynamic modeling and simulation of planetary rovers using single-input-multi-output joints with terrain property mapping, 2021, TRO, HIT, Ryerson University.
• Preliminary design of actuators for walking robot on the Moon, 2022, ASTRA, ETH.
• Crawling Locomotion Enabled by a Novel Actuated Rover Chassis, 2022, ICRA, University of Surrey, NASA.
• RAMP: Reaction-Aware Motion Planning of Multi-Legged Robots for Locomotion in Microgravity, 2023, ICRA, Tohoku University.
• Animal-Morphing Bio-Inspired Mechatronic Systems: Research Framework in Robot Design to Enhance Interplanetary Exploration on the Moon, 2024, Biomimetics, The Technical University of Madrid, TAMU.
• Legged Systems for Exploration, 2024, Space Robotics: The State of the Art and Future Trends, ETH.
• Towards legged robots for planetary exploration, 2024, ICRAw, ETH.
• Trajectory shaping guidance for impact angle control of planetary hopping robots, 2024, Frontiers in Robotics and AI, Cranfield University.
• Steerable High Jumping Tensegrity Robot for Space Exploration, 2025, TFR, ETH.
• The Effect of Tip Design on Technological Performance During the Exploration of Earth, Lunar, and Martian Soil Environments, 2025, JFR, European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC), Italian Institute of Technology, ESA‐European Space Research and Technology Centre.
• Landing Dynamics of Telescopic-Legged Bionic Rover on Asteroid Gravel Surface Using Discrete Element Method, 2025, JFR BIT, Beihang University.
• A Concept for Planetary Drilling Autonomy, 2025, ICRAw, University of Minnesota, NASA.
• Efficient Learning-Based Control of a Legged Robot in Lunar Gravity, 2025, arXiv, ETH.
• Planetary Drilling Autonomy, 2025, ICRA Doctoral Consortium, University of Minnesota.
• Olympus: A Jumping Quadruped for Planetary Exploration Utilizing Reinforcement Learning for In-flight Attitude Control, 2025, arXiv, NTNU.
• Multi-Modal Decentralized Reinforcement Learning for Modular Reconfigurable Lunar Robots, 2025, arXiv, Tohoku University, Politecnico di Milano.
• MoonBot: Modular and On-demand Reconfigurable Robot Towards Moon Base Construction, 2025, TFR, Tohoku University.
• Design and Development of a Modular Bucket Drum Excavator for Lunar ISRU, 2025, arXiv, University of Stuttgart, Tohoku University.
• Novel Robotic Fleet for Sample Recovery in Lunar Craters: A Concept of Operations, 2025, TFR, Texas A&M University.
• Design and Development of Modular Limbs for Reconfigurable Robots on the Moon, 2026, arXiv, Tohoku University.
• Design and Simulation of HyDroQuad: A Drone-Quadruped Hybrid for Lightweight Multi-Modal Locomotion, 2026, AIAA, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
• No Access Advanced Manufacturing and Materials of a Bio-mimetic Hoof for Space Robotics Applications, 2026, AIAA, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
• Non-Prehensile Robotic Pushing Strategies for Sloped Terrain and Planetary Surface Conditions, 2026, AIAA, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
• Modular Isoperimetric Soft Robotic Truss for Lunar Applications, 2026, arXiv, Brigham Young University
• Underactuated multimodal jumping robot for extraterrestrial exploration, 2026, ICRA, UIUC
• MR_Go: A Magnetorheological Quadruped Robot for Energy-Efficient, High-Payload, and Impact-Tolerant Planetary Exploration, 2026, RAL, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui University
• Towards Low-Gravity Planetary Exploration using Reinforcement Learning for Walking, Jumping, and In-flight Attitude Control, 2026, arXiv, NTNU. [Website]

3.2.2 Space Emulation Environment

• Robotic Space Simulator: Controls Implementation for Auxiliary Axes and Zero-G Dynamics, 2025, ICRA, TAMU.
• A Study Demonstrating That Using Gravitational Offsetto Prepare Extraterrestrial Mobility Missions IsMisleading, 2025, JFR, SJTU, University of Wisconsin‐Madison, NASA.

3.2.3 Sensors

• PHALANX: Expendable projectile sensor networks for planetary exploration, 2020, IEEE Aerospace Conference, NASA.

3.2.4 Control

• Real-time assessment of robot performance during remote exploration operations, 2009, IEEE Aerospace conference, TRAC Laboratories, Inc., NASA, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, USA.
• Traveling performance evaluation of planetary rovers on loose soil, 2012, JFR Tohoku University.
• Parameter Identification of a Planetary Rover Wheel–Soil Contact Model via a Bayesian Approach, 2013, JFR, GH University of Science and Technology, DRL.
• Modeling, Analysis, and Control of an Actively Reconfigurable Planetary Rover for Traversing Slopes Covered with Loose Soil, 2013, JFR, Tohoku University.
• Gravity-independent Rock-climbing Robot and a Sample Acquisition Tool with Microspine Grippers, 2013, JFR, NASA, CMU, OSU.
• Supervisory Control of a Humanoid Robot in Microgravity for Manipulation Tasks, 2017, IROS, NASA, Houston Mechatronics Inc..
• Slippage and immobilization detection for planetary exploration rovers via machine learning and proprioceptive sensing, 2018, JFR, MIT, ProtoInnovations LLC, USA.
• Terrain-adaptive wheel speed control on the Curiosity Mars rover: Algorithm and flight results, 2019, JFR, Caltech.
• Fast approximate clearance evaluation for rovers with articulated suspension systems, 2019, JFR, NASA, Ecole Normale Superieure, Indian Institute of Technology.
• Sampling-based hierarchical motion planning for a reconfigurable wheel-on-leg planetary analogue exploration rover, 2019, JFR, NASA, UTS.
• Enhancing rover teleoperation on the moon with proprioceptive sensors and machine learning techniques, 2022, RAL, University of Luxembourg.
• An Instrumented Wheel to Measure the Wheel–Terrain Interactions of Planetary Robotic Wheel-on-Limb System on Sandy Terrains, 2022, TIM, Nanjing Tech University, Southeast University, Beijing Institute of Control Engineering.
• MARCEL: Mobile active rover chassis for enhancedlocomotion, 2023, JFR, University ofSurrey.
• Towards legged locomotion on steep planetary terrain, 2023, IROS, ETH.
• Robust High-Order Sliding Mode Control for Collecting Objects by a Wheeled Space Rover With a Multi-Articulated Arm, 2025, JFR, Lomonosov Moscow State University, The Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education.
• Mars Traversability Prediction: A Multi-modal Self-supervised Approach for Costmap Generation, 2025, arXiv, HIT.
• Learning Rock Pushability on Rough Planetary Terrain, 2025, IROS, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
• An adaptive hierarchical control framework for quadrupedal robots in planetary exploration, 2025, arXiv, DFKI, German Aerospace Center, University of Bremen.
• Closed-Form Analytical Modeling of Sweep-Spin Grouser Wheels Traversing Granular Media for Planetary Rovers, 2026, T-Mech, HIT, Beijing Research Institute of Automation for Machinery Industry Company, Minzu University of China.

3.3 Localization, Mapping & Perception

3.3.1 Global Localization

• Field testing of visual odometry aided by a sun sensor and inclinometer, 2012, JFR, University of Toronto, Ryerson University.
• Planetary rover localization within orbital maps, 2014, ICIP, University Nevada.
• Horizon based orientation estimation for planetary surface navigation, 2016, ICIP, Stanford University.
• Rover Localization in Mars Helicopter Aerial Maps: Experimental Results in a Mars-Analogue Environment, 2018, International Symposium on Experimental Robotics, NASA.
• SLAM for autonomous planetary rovers with global localization, 2020, JFR, European Space Agency, University of Malaga, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
• A Neuromorphic Vision-Based Measurement for Robust Relative Localization in Future Space Exploration Missions, 2022, TIM, Khalifa University.
• 基于多源影像的“祝融号”火星车高精度定位, 2022, 深空探测学报, 北京航天飞行控制中心, 中国科学院空天信息创新研究院.
• Terrain Aided Planetary UAV Localization Based on Geo-referencing, 2024, TGRS, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
• JointLoc: A Real-time Visual Localization Framework for Planetary UAVs Based on Joint Relative and Absolute Pose Estimation, 2024, IROS, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jilin University, Chinese Academy of Sciences. [Code]
• Censible: A Robust and Practical Global Localization Framework for Planetary Surface Missions, 2024, ICRA, Caltech.
• LunarLoc: Segment-Based Global Localization on the Moon, 2025, RSSw, MIT. [Code]
• A Map-based Localization System for Ingenuity using Deep Image Matching, 2025, TFR, Caltech, University of Luxembourg.
• AI-Enabled Crater-Based Navigation for Lunar Mapping, 2025, arXiv, The University of Adelaide.
• Robust Visual Localization in Compute-Constrained Environments by Salient Edge Rendering and Weighted Hamming Similarity, 2025, RAL, Caltech.
• Landmark-aware autonomous odometry correction and map pruning for planetary rovers, 2025, Acta Astronautica, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, HIT.
• Vision-based Geo-Localization of Future Mars Rotorcraft in Challenging Illumination Conditions, 2025, arXiv, Caltech.
• A Novel Absolute/Relative Fusion Approach for Visual Localization of Planetary Lander Employing a Unified Error Metric, 2025, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, Tongji University.
• Onboard Autonomous Health Assessment and Global Localization for the Mars Helicopter: Towards Multi-Flight Operations, 2025, TFR, Caltech.
• MarsLGPR: Mars Rover Localization with Ground Penetrating Radar, 2025, TFR, University of Michigan.
• Visual Localization and Topographic Mapping for Zhurong Rover in Tianwen-1 Mars Mission, 2025, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Aerospace Control Center.
• DVD-MapAL: Deep Visual Feature-Driven Map-Assisted Localization for Planetary Spacecraft Exploration, 2026, TFR, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
• Vision Foundation Models for Domain Generalisable Cross-View Localisation in Planetary Ground–Aerial Robotic Teams, 2026, arXiv, University of Adelaide, Caltech.
• Visual SLAM with DEM Anchoring for Lunar Surface Navigation, 2026, IEEE Aerospace Conference, Stanford University.

3.3.2 Odomentry & SLAM

• Three-dimensional SLAM for mapping planetary work site environments, 2012, JFR, University of Toronto, Canadian Space Agency.
• Field trial results of planetary rover visual motion estimation in Mars analogue terrain, 2012, JFR, MDA Corporation, Canadian Space Agency.
• Mapping, Planning, and Sample Detection Strategies for Autonomous Exploration, 2013, JFR, University of Waterloo.
• Planetary Monocular Simultaneous Localization and Mapping, 2015, JFR, University of Surrey.
• Countering drift in Visual Odometry for planetary rovers by registering boulders in ground and orbital images, 2015, IROS, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas.
• Improved planetary rover inertial navigation and wheel odometry performance through periodic use of zero-type constraints, 2019, IROS, West Virginia University.
• Slip-based autonomous ZUPT through Gaussian process to improve planetary rover localization, 2021, RAL, West Virginia University.
• Visual SLAM-based robotic mapping method for planetary construction, 2021, Sensors, Inha University, KAIST, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology.
• A comparison of robust kalman filters for improving wheel-inertial odometry in planetary rovers, 2021, ION GNSS+, West Virginia University.
• Towards robust monocular visual odometry for flying robots on planetary missions, 2021, IROS, DLR, TUM.
• Data-Efficient Collaborative Decentralized Thermal-Inertial Odometry, 2022, RAL, University of Zurich, Caltech. [Code]
• GPGM-SLAM: a robust slam system for unstructured planetary environments with gaussian process gradient maps, 2022, Field Robotics, DLR, UTS.
• Exploring event camera-based odometry for planetary robots, 2022, RAL, Caltech, University of Zurich.
• An Innovative Pose Determination Algorithm for Planetary Rover Onboard Visual Odometry, 2022, Aerospace, HIT, University of Canterbury.
• Evaluation of visual SLAM algorithms in unstructured planetary-like and agricultural environments, 2024, Pattern Recognition Letters, INAOE.
• Structure-Invariant Range-Visual-Inertial Odometry, 2024, IROS, University of Zurich, Caltech.
• LuVo: Lunar Visual Odometry using Homography-based Image Feature Matching, 2025, ICRA, NASA.
• Neural Implicit Monocular Visual SLAM for 3D Reconstruction in Planetary Environments, 2025, ISPRS, Tongji University.
• MAR-VO: A Match-and-Refine Framework for UAV’s Monocular Visual Odometry in Planetary Environments, 2025, TGRS, Southeast University, Chinese Academy of Science.
• Lo-SLAM: Lunar Target-oriented SLAM Using Object Identification, Relative Navigation and Multi-level Mapping, 2025, TGRS, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science. Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
• Visual–LiDAR SLAM for Rover Navigation in Planetary Environments With Plane Constraints and Global Optimization, 2025, EEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, Tongji University.
• Learning to Anchor Visual Odometry: KAN-Based Pose Regression for Planetary Landing, 2026, RAL, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

3.3.3 Mapping

• Mapping for Planetary Rovers from Terramechanics Perspective, 2019, IROS, HIT.
• Semantic mapping in unstructured environments: Toward autonomous localization of planetary robotic explorers, 2022, IEEE Aerospace Conference, NASA.
• REALMS: Resilient exploration and lunar mapping system, 2023, Frontiers in Robotics and AI, University of Luxembourg.
• A lunar reconnaissance drone for cooperative exploration and high-resolution mapping of extreme locations, 2024, Acta Astronautica, EPFL.
• Analyzing the Effectiveness of Neural Radiance Fields for Geometric Modeling of Lunar Terrain, 2024, IEEE Aerospace Conference, CMU, NASA.
• Enhancing the Quality of 3D Lunar Maps Using JAXA’s Kaguya Imagery, 2025, arXiv, Caltech, University of Oslo, LunaSol Space LLC.
• Adapting Stereo Vision From Objects To 3D Lunar Surface Reconstruction with the StereoLunar Dataset, 2025, arXiv, Universite de Toulouse. [Website] [Code]
• 3D Mapping Using a Lightweight and Low-Power Monocular Camera Embedded inside a Gripper of Limbed Climbing Robots, 2025, arXiv, Tohoku University.
• A Stochastic Approach to Terrain Maps for Safe Lunar Landing, 2025, arXiv, University of Michigan.
• Federated Multi-Agent Mapping for Planetary Exploration, 2025, arXiv, Technical University of Denmark, Caltech.
• High-fidelity 3D reconstruction for planetary exploration, 2026, ICRA, University of Malaga.

3.3.4 Perception

• Self-supervised terrain classification for planetary surface exploration rovers, 2012, JFR, MIT.
• Vision-based absolute navigation for descent and landing, 2012, JFR, University of Toulouse.
• SPARTAN: Developing a Vision System for Future Autonomous Space Exploration Robots, 2013, JFR, Democritus University of Thrace, Aalborg University Copenhagen, National Technical University of Athens.
• Real-Time Orbital Image Analysis Using Decision Forests, with a Deployment Onboard the IPEX Spacecraft, 2015, JFR, Caltech, California Polytechnic State University.
• Three-dimensional Scan Registration using Curvelet Features in Planetary Environments, 2015, JFR, Kanata, University of Waterloo.
• Structured light-based hazard detection for planetary surface navigation, 2017, IROS, Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies, NASA.
• Sky and ground segmentation in the navigation visions of the planetary rovers, 2021, Sensors, Cranfield University.
• AI-enabled Computer Vision Framework for Automated Knowledge Extraction in Planetary Rover Operations, 2023, ASTRA, GMV NSL Ltd, GMV Innovating Solutions Sp. z o.o., ul, University of Surrey.
• Deep Learning based Semantic Segmentation for Mars Rover Terrain Classification, 2024, iSpaRo, KCL, University of Surrey, GMV NSL Ltd.
• Covariance Based Terrain Mapping for Autonomous Mobile Robots, 2024, ICRA, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg.
• Instance Segmentation-Based Hazard Detectionwith Lunar South Pole Lighting, 2025, ICRA, NASA, The University of Texas at Arlington.
• OmniUnet: A Multimodal Network for Unstructured Terrain Segmentation on Planetary Rovers Using RGB, Depth, and Thermal Imagery, 2025, arXiv, University of Luxembourg, University of Malaga.
• LuSeg: Efficient Negative and Positive Obstacles Segmentation via Contrast-Driven Multi-Modal Feature Fusion on the Lunar, 2025, IROS, NUDT. [Code]
• Fast Vision in the Dark: A Case for Single-Photon Imaging in Planetary Navigation 2025, ASTRA, University of Malaga.
• Space-LLaVA: a Vision-Language Model Adapted to Extraterrestrial Applications 2025, arXiv, Stanford University.
• 火星表面石块的卷积自注意力网络识别方法 2025, 遥感学报, 北京信息科技大学, 中国科学院空天信息创新研究院, 中国科学院大学.
• Semantic Segmentation and Depth Estimation for Real-Time Lunar Surface Mapping Using 3D Gaussian Splatting, 2026, arXiv, Stanford University.
• MoonAnything: A Vision Benchmark with Large-Scale Lunar Supervised Data, 2026, MMSys, Université de Toulouse, NUS, IRL2955.
• LuMon: A Comprehensive Benchmark and Development Suite with Novel Datasets for Lunar Monocular Depth Estimation, 2026, CVPRw, ROMER Middle East Technical University. [Website]

3.4 Planning & Navigation

3.4.1 Planning & Navigation

• Planning using a Network of Reusable Paths: A Physical Embodiment of a Rapidly Exploring Random Tree, 2013, JFR, University of Toronto.
• An Open Research Facility for Vision-Based Navigation Onboard the International Space Station, 2015, JFR MIT.
• Cooperative Relative Navigation for Space Rendezvous and Proximity Operations using Controlled Active Vision, 2015, JFR Gatech.
• Perception-aware autonomous mast motion planning for planetary exploration rovers, 2019, JFR, West Virginia University, Caltech.
• Rough terrain navigation for legged robots using reachability planning and template learning, 2023, CoRL, Georgia Institute of Technology, Caltech.
• Autonomous cooperative visual navigation for planetary exploration robots, 2021, ICRA, City University of London, Sirjan University of Technology.
• DROID: Learning from Offline Heterogeneous Demonstrations via Reward-Policy Distillation, 2021, ICRA, City University of London, Sirjan University of Technology.
• Learning-based end-to-end navigation for planetary rovers considering non-geometric hazards, 2023, RAL, HIT.
• Neural Radiance Maps for Extraterrestrial Navigation and Path Planning, 2023, ION GNSS+ Conference, Stanford University.
• Traversing Mars: Cooperative Informative Path Planning to Efficiently Navigate Unknown Scenes, 2024, RAL, ETH, DLR, MIT. [Code]
• RAPF: Efficient path planning for lunar microrovers, 2024, iSpaRo, Delft University of Technology, EPFL.
• Kernel-based Diffusion Approximated Markov Decision Processes for Autonomous Navigation and Control on Unstructured Terrains, 2024, IJRR, Indiana University Bloomington, Expedia Group, Army Research Laboratory.
• Energy-Constrained Navigation for Planetary Rovers under Hybrid RTG-Solar Power, 2025, arXiv, NTU.
• Path planning algorithm for a South Pole lunar rover mission, 2025, Acta Astronautica, Canadian Space Agency, University of Montreal.
• VLM-Empowered Multi-Mode System for Efficient and Safe Planetary Navigation, 2025, arXiv, HIT. [Website]
• Transferable Deep Reinforcement Learning for Cross-Domain Navigation: from Farmland to the Moon, 2025, arXiv, Tohoku University.
• Towards Proprioceptive Terrain Mapping with Quadruped Robots for Exploration in Planetary Permanently Shadowed Regions, 2025, arXiv, IIT.
• Enhanced Autonomous Navigation on the Perseverance Mars Rover, 2025, TFR, Caltech.
• CRESCENT: Collision-Free Highly-Constrained Trajectory Optimization for Driving on the Moon, 2025, TFR, Caltech, Johns Hopkins University, UCLA.
• Planetary Terrain Datasets and Benchmarks for Rover Path Planning, 2025, arXiv, Luleå University of Technology. [Code]

3.4.2 Exploration

• CADRE MoonDB: Distributed Database for Multi-Robot Information-Sharing and Map-Merging for Lunar Exploration, 2024, MASSpace Workshop, Caltech.
• Multi-Agent Autonomy for Space Exploration on the CADRELunarTechnology Demonstration, 2024, IEEE Aerospace Conference, Caltech.
• Competency-Aware Collaborative Robotic Surface Exploration: A Study at the Mars Desert Research Station, 2025, TFR, University of Colorado Boulder, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
• Towards Proprioceptive Terrain Mapping with Quadruped Robots for Exploration in Planetary Permanently Shadowed Regions, 2025, arXiv, IIT.
• Safe Active Navigation and Exploration for Planetary Environments Using Proprioceptive Measurements, 2025, arXiv, USC.
• CUTE-Planner: Confidence-aware Uneven Terrain Exploration Planner, 2025, arXiv, Inha University, Kyung Hee University.
• Proprioceptive Safe Active Navigation and Exploration for Planetary Environments, 2026, arXiv, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Southern California.

3.4.3 Remote Sensing

• Sub-metre Lunar DEM Generation and Validation from Chandrayaan-2 OHRC Multi-View Imagery Using Open-Source Photogrammetry, 2026, arXiv, Manipal University Jaipur, Indian Space Research Organisation, NASA.

3.5 Operation and Tasks

• Planthaber, others, Lunares: Lunar crater exploration with heterogeneous multi robot systems, 2011, Intelligent Service Robotics, DFKI, EADS Astrium GmbH, OHB System AG.
• Mobile in-situ water extractor (MISWE) for Mars, Moon, and Asteroids in situ resource utilization, 2012, AIAA SPACE conference & exposition, Honeybee Robotics.
• Autonomous Go-and-Touch Exploration (AGATE), 2012, JFR, Yoder Software, Ohio Northern University
• The ESA Lunar Robotics Challenge: Simulating operations at the lunar south pole, 2012, JFR, University of Pisa, Jacobs University, University of Surrey.
• Towards Coordinated Multirobot Missions for Lunar Sample Collection in an Unknown Environment, 2013, JFR, DFKI.
• Mars Science Laboratory Algorithms and Flight Software for Autonomously Drilling Rocks, 2013, JFR, Caltech.
• Field testing of a cooperative multi-robot sample return mission in mars analogue environment, 2017, ASTRA, DFKI.
• The evolution of the curiosity rover sampling chain, 2019, JFR, NASA.
• Remote mobile manipulation with the centauro robot: Full-body telepresence and autonomous operator assistance, 2019, JFR, University of Bonn, Italian Institute of Technology, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna.
• The ARCHES Space-Analogue Demonstration Mission: Towards Heterogeneous Teams of Autonomous Robots for Collaborative Scientific Sampling in Planetary Exploration, 2020, RAL, DLR, KIT.
• Autonomy and Perception for Space Mining, 2022, ICRA, The University of Adelaide.
• COROB-X: A Cooperative robot team for the exploration of lunar skylights, 2022, ASTRA, DFKI.
• Multi-robot cooperation for lunar In-Situ resource utilization, 2023, Frontiers in Robotics and AI, West Virginia University.
• Scientific exploration of challenging planetary analog environments with a team of legged robots, 2023, Science Robotics, ETH.
• Multi-robot cooperation for lunar In-Situ resource utilization, 2023, Frontiers in Robotics and AI, West Virginia University.
• Martian Exploration of Lava Tubes (MELT) with ReachBot: Scientific Investigation and Concept of Operations, 2024, iSpaRo, Stanford University, Purdue University.
• Space-LLaVA: A Vision-Language Model Adapted to Extraterrestrial Applications, 2024, arXiv, Stanford University.
• The DLR Moon-Mars Test Site for Robotic Planetary Exploration, 2024, iSpaRo, DLR, BL9 Landscape Architects.
• A Mission Architecture for a Human-Robot Collaborative Planetary Exploration Cascade, 2024, iSpaRo, Graz University of Technology.
• Robotic exploration of Martian caves: Evaluating operational concepts through analog experiments in lava tubes, 2024, Acta Astronautica, Caltech, USC, University of Guelph.
• AI Space Cortex: An Experimental System for Future Era Space Exploration, 2025, TFR, Caltech, Okean Solutions, Stealth Labs.
• A Human–Robot Team Knowledge-Enhanced Large Language Model for Fault Analysis in Lunar Surface Exploration, 2025, Aerospace, HUST.
• Towards A Catalogue of Requirement Patterns for Space Robotic Missions, 2025, arXiv, University of Manchester.
• Assembling Solar Panels by Dual Robot Arms Towards Full Autonomous Lunar Base Construction, 2026, arXiv, Tohoku University.
• Autonomous Robotic Assembly for Planetary Missions: A Dual Arm LEGO Based Simulation Study, 2026, AIAA, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
• Lunar Rover Cargo Transport: Mission Concept and Field Test, 2026, TFR, University of Toronto, MDA Space, Centre de Technologies Avancées.
• Design and Development of a Modular Bucket Drum Excavator for Lunar ISRU, 2025, arXiv, University of Stuttgart, Tohoku University.
• Full Stack Navigation, Mapping, and Planning for the Lunar Autonomy Challenge, 2025, ION GNSS+ Conference, Stanford University.
• Long-Reach Robotic Cleaning for Lunar Solar Arrays, 2026, arXiv, Stanford University.
• Collaborative Task and Path Planning for Heterogeneous Robotic Teams using Multi-Agent PPO, 2026, arXiv, ETH.

3.6. Dataset & Simulator

3.6.1 Dataset

• The Devon Island rover navigation dataset, 2012, IJRR, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, University of Toronto, Ryerson University. [Dataset]

• The Canadian planetary emulation terrain 3D mapping dataset, 2013, IJRR, University of Toronto, Canadian Space Agency.

• The katwijk beach planetary rover dataset, 2018, IJRR, European Space Agency, Queen’s University, Democritus University of Thrace.

• Datasets of Long Range Navigation Experiments in a Moon Analogue Environment on Mount Etna, 2018, ISR, DLR.

• LabelMars: Creating an Extremely Large Martian Image Dataset Through Machine Learning, 2019, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, The Open University.

• The Canadian planetary emulation terrain energy-aware rover navigation dataset, 2020, IJRR, University of Toronto, University of Zagreb.

• The Erfoud dataset: a comprehensive multi-camera and Lidar data collection for planetary exploration, 2020, Symposium on Advanced Space Technologies in Robotics and Automation, European Space Agency.

• Ai4mars: A dataset for terrain-aware autonomous driving on mars, 2021, CVPRw, Caltech. [Dataset]

• The MADMAX data set for visual-inertial rover navigation on Mars, 2021, JFR, DLR.

• Challenges of SLAM in extremely unstructured environments: the DLR Planetary Stereo, Solid-State LiDAR, Inertial Dataset, 2022, RAL, DLR, TUM. [Dataset]

• LuSNAR: A Lunar Segmentation, Navigation and Reconstruction Dataset based on Muti-sensor for Autonomous Exploration, 2024, arXiv, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. [Dataset]

• TAIL: A Terrain-Aware Multi-Modal SLAM Dataset for Robot Locomotion in Deformable Granular Environments, 2024, RAL, SUSTech, HKUST. [Dataset]

• SPICE-HL3: Single-Photon, Inertial, and Stereo Camera dataset for Exploration of High-Latitude Lunar Landscapes, 2025, arXiv, University of Malaga, University of Luxembourg. [Dataset]

• Multi-Robot Decentralized Collaborative SLAM in Planetary Analogue Environments: Dataset, Challenges, and Lessons Learned, 2025, TFR, Polytechnique Montréal. [Dataset]

• Are We Ready for Planetary Exploration Robots? The TAIL-Plus Dataset for SLAM in Granular Environments, 2025, arXiv, SUSTech, HKUST. [Dataset]

• The S3LI Vulcano Dataset: A Dataset for Multi-Modal SLAM in Unstructured Planetary Environments, 2026, IEEE Aerospace Conference, DLR, KTH. [Dataset

3.6.2 Simulator

• Simulations of Mars Rover Traverses, 2013, JFR, Washington University in St Louis, Caltech, MIT.
• Planetary Rover Simulation for Lunar Exploration Missions, 2019, IEEE Aerospace Conference, NASA, Logyx LLC.
• MarsSim: A high-fidelity physical and visual simulation for Mars rovers, 2022, TAES, HIT.
• LunarSim: Lunar Rover Simulator Focused on High Visual Fidelity and ROS 2 Integration for Advanced Computer Vision Algorithm Development, 2023, Applied Sciences, Poznan University of Technology. [Code]
• OmniLRS: A Photorealistic Simulator for Lunar Robotics, 2024, ICRA, University of Luxembourg, Tohoku University. [Code]
• Modeling of Terrain Deformation by a Grouser Wheel for Lunar Rover Simulation, 2024, arXiv, Tohoku University, University of Luxembourg.
• Digital Proving Ground: VIPER Rover Simulator (RSIM), 2024, LSIC Fall Meeting, NASA.
• An integrated process for design and control of lunar robotics using AI and simulation, 2025, arXiv, Algoryx Simulation, Umea University.
• Space Robotics Bench: Robot Learning Beyond Earth, 2025, arXiv, University of Luxembourg. [Code] [Website]
• POLAR3D: Augmenting NASA's POLAR Dataset for Data-Driven Lunar Perception and Rover Simulation, 2025, arXiv, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• Martian World Models: Controllable Video Synthesis with Physically Accurate 3D Reconstructions, 2025, NeurIPS, BJTU, UT Austin, HKUST. [Website] [Code]
• Data-Driven Terramechanics Approach Towards a Realistic Real-Time Simulator for Lunar Rovers, 2026, arXiv, Tohoku University.
• MARSIM: An End-to-End Clutter Simulation System for Global Mars Subsurface Sounding, 2026, TGRS, Fudan University.

UI and Digital Twin

• Design and evaluation of an UI for astronauts to control mobile robots on planetary surfaces, 2024, ICARSC, Julius-Maximilians-University.
• Digital Twin for Analog Mars Missions: Investigating Local Positioning Alternatives for GNSS-Denied Environments, 2025, sensors, University of Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Ludwig-Maximilians-University.

4 Space Robots Challenge

Index	Challenge	Date	Tasks	link
1	NASA Space Robotics Challenge	2016	Simulated scenario: lunar scene with multiple robots exploring, mining, and transporting resources.	https://techport.nasa.gov/projects/18490
2	NASA Sample Return Robot Centennial Challenge	2015	Real-world scenario: Design a lunar rover to autonomously search for, grasp, and return with a target.	https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-holds-final-sample-return-robot-competition/
3	ESA-ESRIC Space Resources challenge	2021	Real-world scenario: multiple robots collaboratively collecting resources	https://src.esa.int/
4	Lunar Autonomy Challenge	2024	Simulated scenario: In an unknown environment, identify obstacles, explore, and create a map.	https://lunar-autonomy-challenge.jhuapl.edu/
5	Lunabotics Challenge	2025	Real-world scenario: Design a lunar robot for bulldozing work.	https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/lunabotics-challenge/
6	Australian Rover Challenge	2026	Real-world scenario: Semi-autonomous rovers navigate simulated lunar terrain for resource sensing, extraction, and delivery.	https://www.adelaide.edu.au/extres/australian-rover-challenge

5 Space Mining Company

Company	Founded	Location	Focus Areas	Official Link
Astrobotic Technology	2007	USA	Lunar robotics, payload delivery, ISRU demonstration rovers	Link
Planetary Resources	2009	USA	Asteroid prospecting drones, robotic resource mapping	Link
ispace Technologies	2010	Japan	Lunar resource exploration, water extraction, robotic landers	Link
Moon Express	2010	USA	Robotic lunar mining and sample return missions	Link
Deep Space Industries	2013	USA	In-space manufacturing and mining tech	Link
Intuitive Machines	2013	USA	Lunar payload delivery, robotic landers, lunar data	Link
TransAstra	2015	USA	Optical mining systems, robotic capture, resource utilization	Link
Asteroid Mining Corp	2016	UK	Robotic asteroid explorers, on-site extraction	Link
OffWorld	2017	USA	Autonomous mining robots for space and Earth minerals	Link
Origin Space	2019	China	Asteroid sampling and space resource observation	Link
Interlune	2020	USA	Lunar Helium-3 harvesting, regolith processing	Link
Orbital Mining Corp	2022	USA	Lunar regolith harvesting, robotic thermal processing	Link
AstroForge	2022	USA	Asteroid mining, in-space resource processing	Link

6 Space Mining Policy

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