Marsokhod (Russian: Марсоход, lit. 'Mars rover') is a Russian Mars rover project that was intended for use in the Mars-96 mission. Instead it was used for experiments into improving rover technology.[1]
Prototypes of the Marsokhod rover were taken from Russia to the NASAAmes Research Center, where they were jointly developed by the US and Russia. This led to the development of a 'virtual environment control system',[2] which meant the rover could be controlled remotely via an interface on a PC.[3]
Since the development of this control interface the rover has been deployed in simulations. These experiments provide insight for robotics researchers and scientists preparing for planetary surface exploration.[4]
Marsokhod during the tests in Ames Research Center, 1996
