ATHLETE climbs a hill near Meteor Crater, Arizona. (Reprinted
from JPL News. For the original article, click here) NASA has
announced which agency centers will take responsibility for
specific work to enable astronauts to explore the moon. The new
assignments cover elements of the lunar lander and lunar surface
operations. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will take the lead
for specific robotic surface mobility efforts. An example is the
All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (known as
ATHLETE). JPL will also provide a broad range of support for
lunar lander design. NASA's Constellation Program is working to
send astronauts to the moon, where a lunar outpost will be
established to support long-term exploration of the moon and,
eventually, Mars.