China’s lunar research station could be guarded by robot watchdogs, space scientists say

Robot dogs could one day lead the way across the moon, patrolling research stations, scouting hazards and helping astronauts search for scientifically valuable rocks, according to a blueprint by researchers working on China’s lunar base.

The concept envisions three astronauts working alongside intelligent machines. As the crew explores the moon’s surface, one astronaut would direct two robot dogs across the landscape, while another collects rock samples and carries out detailed scientific work.

A third would remain inside a van-sized pressurised rover, coordinating the mission and controlling other robots when needed, according to the scientists from the China Academy of Space Technology, the nation’s leading spacecraft developer.

“China is extending the frontier of human space flight from Earth orbit to the moon,” the authors wrote in the journal Chinese Space Science and Technology in July, saying future lunar exploration would depend on “astronaut-led decision-making and autonomous robots carrying out the work”.