NASA History JSC2006-E-39964 (4-15 Sept. 2006) --- Testing the next generation of spacesuits and equipment in the Arizona desert, an "astronaut" heads to a mock way station that has been delivered to the site by a giant robot capable of "walking" over steep terrain. The giant robot, known as Athlete or All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer vehicle, can be seen at rest beneath the way station. The test was part of the 2006 NASA's Desert Research and Technology Studies (RATS), a team of scientists and engineers who test futuristic equipment that may one day be used for explorations of the moon and Mars.
