ExoMissions provides realistic 3D environments for analogue rover missions, designed specially by a planetary scientist for outreach and education at all levels.
The ExoMissions Project
ExoMissions originated as a personal passion project, born from self-taught 3D modelling skills developed during my thesis. This inspired the concept of creating accessible 3D environments for educational purposes, enabling people of all ages to explore and learn planetary geology in a fun way while getting the excitement and experience of working with a robotic rover on another planet.
Our virtual environments are perfect for outreach and education at all levels. The 3D environments are designed to provide an immersive experience that allows users to explore and learn about various topics, notably geology, astrobiology, and space mission operations. With ExoMissions virtual environments, you can engage your students in a unique and interactive way, making learning more fun and effective.
Engage your students in a hands-on learning experience as they work together as a team to navigate the rover across the environment using various tools and commands. Each rover can be equipped with several scientific instruments (many of which are used by NASA's Mars rovers), enhancing the realism and educational value of the experience. Students will receive images and data each Sol (day). Once collected, they will have to analyse and interpret this data to uncover the area's geological history. This can provide students with working knowledge of planetary geology, helping them understand the surface composition and processes of these planets, and how they are relate to similar environments on Earth.
While we are still in our development stage, our Mars Analogue (version 1.0) has been ran at Birkbeck University of London for Masters-Level Astrobiology students. It has been a resounding success and you can see some images from this expedition toward the bottom of the page. Version 2.0, with updated graphics, design, and integration, is being ran in Term 3 of 2025. We plan to add more environments, options, and features as we develop the concept.
Please contact me if you are interested in hiring ExoMissions for your school or institution. We are also looking for sources of funding to develop the program further; again, please contact me if you are interested.
Planned Development
ExoMissions is currently in its early development stages (1.0), but we plan to expand the virtual analogue environment into three difficulty levels, providing a choice of three different operational scenarios. For those interested, please contact us directly for a full outline of our business plan.
Planet Explorer
-
Elementary/Middle school level.
-
Ages between ~7 and 13.
-
Entry-level exploration and geology.
Planetary Adventurer
-
High school level.
-
Ages between ~13 and 16.
-
More in-depth geology and team communication.
Solar System Pioneer
-
Further Education Levels.
-
Ages ~16+
-
Detailed geological analysis is required along with interpretations.
Level Design
We aim to give each difficulty level a choice of three exploration sites. Each is a similar analogue to an ongoing or upcoming space mission, each with its own goals, specific data, and unique environmental challenges.
Mars Analogue
-
Similar geology and environment to Mars.
-
Ancient crater lake enviroment similar to Gale and Jezero Crater.
-
Search for the past environmental record and whether the lake could have sustained life.
-
Based on exploration conducted by NASA's Curiosity and Persevereance Rovers.
Titan Analogue
-
Similar geology and enviroment to Saturns Moon, Titan.
-
Cold hydrocarbon-rich setting.
-
Search for cryovolcanism (ices), organic molecules, and liquids.
-
Based on NASAs Dragonfly mission to Titan.
-
We aim to provide the exploration team either a rover or a drone.
Asteroid / Comet Analogue
-
Primative asteroid similar enviroment to Ryugu or Bennu.
Lunar Analogue
-
Lunar environment for lunar geology and exploration.
-
Highland and Lowland material.
-
Similar geology and environment to a volatile-rich Near-Earth Asteroid.
-
Primordial body teaching the students about conditions in the early Solar System
-
Search for volatiles (ices, etc.), organics, and rocks.
-
Based on exploration conducted by NASAs OSIRIS-REX, JAXAs Hayabusa 2, and ESAs Rosetta.
Past & Current Missions
ExoMissions Mars Analogue (v.1.0) was ran by Birkbeck, University of London, for the MSc "Planetary Exploration Analogue Mission for Astrobiology" module. The students navigated the rover through the ancient crater lake, exploring the geology using several rover instruments.
See the images below, captured during their exploration.
