Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Robert Krylo is a key contributor to NASA’s Mars exploration efforts, specializing in the thermal design and instrumentation of planetary spacecraft. His most impactful work centers on the SHERLOC instrument aboard the Perseverance rover, a robotic arm-mounted spectrometer that uses Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy to map organic compounds and minerals on the Martian surface. This investigation, published in 2021, has already garnered 237 citations, reflecting its critical role in the search for signs of ancient life. Krylo’s expertise extends to thermal control systems for the Mars Science Laboratory mission, where he designed architectures to protect propellant lines and powered descent vehicles from extreme temperature fluctuations during deep space transit and landing. His work on the Powered Descent Vehicle thermal design (2008) and propellant line thermal modeling (2011) ensured the safe delivery of the Curiosity rover. By combining cutting-edge spectroscopic analysis with robust thermal engineering, Krylo has helped enable some of the most ambitious robotic missions to Mars, advancing our understanding of the Red Planet’s habitability.