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About

J. M. Hurtado is a leading figure in planetary surface exploration, specializing in human-robot teaming and field geology for future Moon and Mars missions. Their core research focuses on developing operational concepts that maximize scientific return during human exploration, particularly through "robotic recon" and "robotic follow-up." Hurtado’s seminal 2010 paper on robotic reconnaissance for human lunar exploration (30 citations) established a framework for using rovers as advance scouts, demonstrating how pre-deployed robots can significantly improve both the efficiency and science yield of crewed missions. This work was further refined in a 2011 study (8 citations) that provided critical lessons learned from field tests. A key contribution is the concept of robotic follow-up—augmenting human fieldwork with subsequent robot activity—which Hurtado defined and assessed in a companion 2010 paper (15 citations). Their impact extends to high-profile NASA analog missions, including Desert RATS, where they served as a geology crew member and published operational insights. Most recently, Hurtado contributed to Artemis planning with a 2025 study on geological traverses at Mons Malapert, the lunar south polar region, and explored the transformative potential of exploration telepresence for space science.