Robots as space researchers.

“Illustration of robotic dogs exploring lunar lava tubes.” (Rude Baguette)

When we think about manned Mars flight. The first creatures that travel to the Red planet can be robots. The human-shaped robots. And robot dogs can research the red planet. And in the visions, the AI-controlled robots can even make the base. And when humans arrive, they just take keys and step in. The AI-controlled robots can research the solar system without risking lives. Robot researchers solve the problem of long space journeys. And if we think about the possibility of traveling to planets like Jupiter and Saturn, we could make that journey virtually. The VR and BCI systems allow communication with robots. 

A person would be physically on the Moon or Mars. There is a small delay in the data signal traveling from outer planets. But the AI-based interactive interfaces can solve the control problem. So, maybe we cannot physically travel to the outer planets. Or even solar systems at the speed of light. But we can send robots to those places. And then receive information that those systems send. This means that we can make virtual journeys anywhere we want. And that opens new visions for space research. It also opens new views to things like UAPs. 

Voyager probe. 

Maybe aliens will ever visit our solar system. But they can send the probes to other stars. And maybe in the future. We will send robot crafts to research outer planets, and even to Alpha Centauri.  AI-controlled probes can carry humanoid robots. In those cases, the journeys can last hundreds of years. In the cases that we know from our history. The first things that we sent to the Moon. And to solar systems were probes. 

The first probes that humans sent to the Moon were immersion probes. Researchers who sent the first Luna and Ranger probes to the Moon. Let those probes. Impact with the Moon. The Soviet Luna 9 was the first soft lander on the Moon in 1966. 

Ranger 7 probe. 

Researchers who sent those probes, like Voyagers 1 and 2, didn’t expect to get them back. In the same way, in the 1970’s, futurologists created a plan to send an unmanned space probe to the Alpha Centauri system. The “Project Daedalus”. It was the hypothetical version of the interstellar probe. The interstellar Voyager probe that travels to Alpha Centauri. And I presume that the first thing. That travels to the outer solar system. 

For research, the gas giants, Uranus and Neptune, will be. The AI-controlled probe. The miniature version of Daedalus can make that mission. The theoretical Daedalus was the flyby probe that would not slow its speed near the targeted solar system. It would  send the subprobes to those solar systems. In the same way, “Mini Daedalus” can make a flyby mission. When the nuclear-powered probe overtakes the planet. It can send the immersion probe that orbits and lands in a gas giant’s atmosphere. 

Daedalus spacecraft concept. (Wikipedia, Project Daedalus)

China wants to send robot dogs to research lava tubes on the moon. This kind of research is one of the things that pave the way for bases on the Moon and Mars. Without complete knowledge of the conditions of the operational areas. It is hard to make safe bases. There is a possibility that China plans to create. A moonbase in lava tubes. But the fact is this. Those robot dogs can also operate in caves on Earth. 

They can also operate. In the sanew system, below cities. The robot dog can go anywhere. And there is a possibility. That. Those systems. can even fly. In that case, the robot dogs have the quadcopter system in their feet. The retractable propellers can be in those feet. And when the robot dog wants to fly. It just spreads its legs and uncovers its propellers. 

Then those robots can fly to the roofs of the buildings. It could also use that ability for underwater operations. The robot dog can serve rescue crews and the military, and it can have intelligence applications. The use of robots helps to save lives. And the biomimicking robots can operate in areas that are dangerous to researchers. Maybe we will see these kinds of robot dogs on the surface of other planets. 

https://www.rudebaguette.com/en/2025/10/i-didnt-expect-them-to-move-like-that-chinas-robotic-dogs-are-now-training-to-explore-the-moons-hidden-lava-tubes-and-find-sites-for-future-bases/

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/ranger-7/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Daedalus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_9

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_programme

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranger_program

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_program

https://medium.com/@batrobin/robots-as-space-researchers-b12e9a3c35bb