NASA ATHLETE

Not for sale

Not for sale (research)Lunar roverWheel-on-legNASAGiant

Not for saleShipping: N/A.

Overview

All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer, a roughly 4 m wide lunar utility vehicle whose six 6-DOF legs end in wheels, so it drives on easy ground and walks over rough terrain. Legs can also serve as manipulators, and multiple units can dock together to carry habitats. It remains a JPL technology testbed rather than a flight vehicle.

Type: Multi-legged robot · Research & legacy
Maker: NASA JPL (USA)
Released: 2006
Price: Not for sale
Status: Not for sale (research)
Best for: Professionals & labs
Programming: No programmability

Price and shipping

NASA research testbed. Field-tested at Dumont Dunes by 2006 (per NASA photo).

Shipping: N/A. NASA research prototype. Not for sale.

Specifications

Category	Multi-legged robots · Research & legacy
Released	2006
Country	USA
Availability	Not for sale (research)
Sales	At least 3 prototype vehicles built, never sold NASA JPL ↗
Programmability	No programmability
Built-in autonomy	None / scripted · Moves only when controlled, or plays preset motions
LLM support	None · No built-in LLM and no SDK to connect one.
Best for	Professionals & labs
Vision sensors	Camera
Actuators	Unknown
Audio	Unknown
Compute type	Proprietary / undisclosed
Compute	Onboard computers, teleoperated and semi-autonomous
Weight	Not published (450 kg payload design goal)
Speed	Target 10 km/h (design goal)
Legs / DOF	6 limbs × 6 DOF, each ending in a wheel
Sensors	Cameras and navigation sensors (details not published)
SDK	None public