Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

H. M. Sapers is a leading astrobiologist and planetary scientist whose work bridges the frontiers of cave exploration, analogue missions, and sample return technologies. Her research focuses on the scientific and engineering challenges of exploring subsurface environments—particularly caves—on the Moon, Mars, and other planetary bodies. Sapers has been instrumental in advancing the concept of planetary caves as high-priority targets for astrobiology and human exploration, co-authoring the highly cited "Fundamental Science and Engineering Questions in Planetary Cave Exploration" (2022, 38 citations), which outlines a cross-disciplinary roadmap for future missions. She also played a key role in the CanMars Mars Sample Return analogue mission (2018, 33 citations), demonstrating how terrestrial field campaigns can simulate and refine sample collection and curation protocols for Mars. Her work on mission control architectures for robotic lunar sample return, field-tested in the Sudbury impact structure (2012, 16 citations), has directly informed NASA’s Artemis program. With over 100 citations across her most influential papers, Sapers is recognized for integrating geology, robotics, and astrobiology to prepare for the next era of planetary exploration.