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About

Nadya Balabanska is a leading figure in planetary robotics, specializing in the autonomous operation of robotic arms, rovers, and sampling systems for Mars exploration. Her major contributions center on the development and execution of complex robotic activities for NASA’s InSight and Perseverance missions. She is best known for her work on the InSight lander’s Instrument Deployment Arm (IDA), where she oversaw the precise manipulation of the scoop and grapple to deploy critical science instruments onto the Martian surface. Her most cited paper, “Results from InSight Robotic Arm Activities” (2023, 17 citations), documents these pioneering operations. More recently, Balabanska has been instrumental in Perseverance’s first extended mission, leading the Robotic Operations team responsible for the rover’s mobility, manipulation, and sampling, as well as coordinating Ingenuity helicopter flights. Her work has directly enabled the rover to traverse over 30 km and collect vital samples. With a career dedicated to pushing the boundaries of off-Earth robotics, Balabanska’s achievements are foundational to the future of in-situ resource utilization and sample return.