Tumbleweed rover tests demonstrate transformative technology for low-cost Mars exploration

Tumbleweed rover tests demonstrate transformative technology for low-cost Mars exploration

A swarm of spherical rovers, blown by the wind like tumbleweeds, could enable large-scale and low-cost exploration of the Martian surface, according to results presented at the Joint Meeting of the Europlanet Science Congress and the Division for Planetary Sciences (EPSC-DPS) 2025.

Wind driven rovers show promise for low cost Mars missions

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Sep 26, 2025 Recent tests suggest that swarms of spherical tumbleweed rovers could offer an affordable and efficient way to explore Mars. Experiments conducted in a wind tunnel and on natural terrain show that the wind powered design can move across a range of surfaces under Mars like conditions. The five metre wide rovers are designed to roll with martian winds, dispersing across the surface to collec