This section describes the role of robotic missions within the strategy. In other words, we wish to describe the various milestones accomplished by robots leading to, and following the arrival of, human explorers on a celestial body.

Global Reconnaissance

The first phase of robotic exploration consists of acquiring basic scientific knowledge about the body of interest using remote sensing systems such as fly-by spacecraft and orbiters. In particular, the geology, the atmosphere, the planetary environment (radiation and meteoroids), and the magnetosphere of the celestial body will be studied in detail.

Early Ground Work

Based on this preliminary knowledge, a second wave of missions is sent to study the surface of the body of interest in more detail. Some of these spacecraft land on the surface using techniques such as rocket propulsion, aerobraking, and airbags. These landers explore the surface geology of specific sites selected for their scientific interest using robotic arms, rovers, or hoppers, which are especially useful for low gravity environments such as NEOs. They also analyze the surface environment including the lower atmosphere temperature and composition, and radiation. Other ground sensing systems such as impacting probes and penetrators crash directly into the surface and provide further insight about the internal structure of the body of interest. Finally, humans can conduct more in-depth soil analysis by way of sample return missions. Each of these different probes successively contributes to an increasing body of knowledge that can then be used to determine the in-situ resources. These resources can potentially be tapped to reduce the cost and increase the autonomy of future human missions.

Preparing for the Arrival of Humans

Once the available resources of the celestial body are known, missions will be sent to test new extraction, processing, and storage technologies.

Finally, the last step before humans can safely live on the celestial body is the establishment of the basic infrastructure required for human survival in the early stages of settlement. This is accomplished by landing heavy cargo modules (habitation modules, surface power systems, scientific equipment, etc.) near the predicted landing site of human missions. Once this is done, everything is ready for the historical "first steps".

The Human-Robot Symbiosis

Humans and robots are interdependent partners in all the stages of interplanetary exploration. Humans design, build, and operate robots which in turn conduct initial scientific work and test new technologies necessary to safely and effectively explore a given celestial body. Once humans are established, they again call upon robots to assist them in various repetitious and dangerous tasks such as long range ground exploration (using rovers or "hoppers"), basic maintenance, and resource extraction and processing. Such a symbiotic relationship contributes to the autonomy of the settlement, and over time promotes the emergence of a space society.

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