Review on space robotics: Toward top-level science through space exploration

Robotics and autonomous systems have been instrumental to space exploration by enabling scientific breakthroughs and by fulfilling human curiosity and ambition to conquer new worlds. We provide an overview of space robotics as a rapidly emerging field, covering basic concepts, definitions, historical context, and evolution. We further present a technical road map of the field for the coming decades, taking into account major challenges and priorities recognized by the international space community. Space robotics represents several key enablers to a wide range of future robotic and crewed space missions as well as opportunities for knowledge and technology transfer to many terrestrial sectors. In the greater humanitarian context, space robotics inspires both current and future generations to exploration and critical study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.