Final Review of the ETNA-ULS project
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The Final Review of the Universal Locomotion System (ULS) programme is the final assessment with which the Italian rover ETNA completed its development and testing path, a robotic platform designed to test technologies for lunar surface exploration.[1] The PIC4SeR interdepartmental centre of the Politecnico di Torino, coordinated by Professor Marcello Chiaberge of the Department of Electronics and Telecommunications (DET), contributed to the project.[1]
The programme and the consortium
The ULS programme is promoted and funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and aims to provide new technological solutions for future robotic and human space exploration missions.[1] The consortium that developed the ETNA rover is led by Thales Alenia Space Italia and, besides the Politecnico di Torino, includes Leonardo, Altec, Aiko, Volta Structural Energy and the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT).[1]
Tests on the slopes of Mount Etna
The successful Final Review came at the end of a testing campaign carried out on the slopes of the Sicilian volcano, an environment chosen for morphological conditions that resemble, in some respects, those of the lunar surface.[1] The tests made it possible to verify the rover's mobility, the reliability of its autonomous systems and the versatility of the robotic platform, designed to adapt to different operational configurations and to carry experimental instruments and technologies.[1]
The contribution of the Politecnico di Torino
The PIC4SeR research group worked in particular on developing the drone and the sensor-deployment systems integrated into the platform, a contribution concerning the rover's ability to support exploration activities and to use instruments for gathering information about the surrounding environment.[1] Marcello Chiaberge commented: 'The ULS project closes successfully, having deployed major industrial and scientific resources from the local area, once again demonstrating the value of expertise in the sector and the importance of the partnership between research and industry.' The professor added that the ETNA-ULS project will be the basis for future projects between the Politecnico, ASI and Thales Alenia Space.[1]
Related articles: The ETNA rover passes the Final Review of ASI's Universal Locomotion System programme (November 2026)
Sources
- Quotidiano Piemontese — 2 November 2026