For the last few episodes, we've been talking to robotics experts about everything from robot swarms to human-robot interactions. One thing all of these roboticists have in common is that they build robots that are used here on Earth. But that's not the only place robots can be useful. 

Do you ever wonder how engineers build robots that go to space?

This past July, NASA launched Perseverance, its latest and most ambitious Mars rover. It was designed and built at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, right here in the LA area, not far away from the Science Center.

To learn more about building space-ready robots, we talk to Matthew Frost, a roboticist and cognizant engineer at NASA JPL who is responsible for the robotic arm on the Perseverance rover. He also talks about some of his past projects that haven't left Earth yet--like robots for rock climbing or search-and-rescue--and how they compare to his space-faring creations.

Have a question you've been wondering about? Send an email to everwonder@californiasciencecenter.org to tell us what you'd like to hear in future episodes.

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