Testing took place this week in Arizona, USA of the next generation of NASA technology for human Space flight. The Desert Rats (Research & Technology Studies) program is designed to test-run equipment to see how well it performs (or not!), so any problems can be identified and solved before it ever gets into a Space environment.

The test site, near Black Point Lava Flow in northern Arizona, is an inhospitable, dry and dusty, rocky area of land near the edge of the Grand Canyon, and simulates well the type of rough terrain that could be encountered on another planet such as Mars.

Click on the video below to get a better idea of the new equipment being tested.