Innovations

The coolest tech we’ve seen this month. PLUS: BMW 530d xDrive on test.

To kick off the ‘Summer of Mars’ events programme at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA recently unveiled an 8.5m-long concept Martian rover that wouldn’t look out of place in the Batcave.

The vehicle consists of a detachable rear section housing a science laboratory, and a front section that’s equipped with radio and GPS. Sadly it is only a concept: according to the latest information on NASA’s website, the actual rover used in the Mars 2020 mission is likely to be similar in size and appearance to Curiosity, the 3m-long rover that’s been busy exploring the Red Planet’s surface since 2012.