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About

Gabriela Ligeza is a leading figure in planetary exploration robotics and astronaut training, whose work bridges the gap between terrestrial analog environments and future off-world missions. Her research centers on two key areas: the development of autonomous robotic systems for extreme terrain and the creation of decision-support tools for human planetary science. Ligeza’s most prominent contribution is her role in the 2023 study demonstrating a team of legged robots successfully navigating challenging planetary analog environments—a breakthrough that addresses the critical limitation of current rovers on steep, unstructured terrain. This highly influential work has already garnered 104 citations, underscoring its impact on the field. Additionally, she contributed to the PANGAEA Mineralogical Database (2020), a vital resource designed to support astronauts during real-time scientific decision-making on the Moon and Mars. By integrating robotic autonomy with human exploration protocols, Ligeza is shaping the next generation of planetary science, enabling both robotic precursors and crewed missions to access previously unreachable sites of high scientific interest.