While in the Chilean desert, Zoe receives daily exploration goals and uses its planning software to schedule its day (video) to maximize discoveries and minimize energy use. And it does it all without GPS or compass; neither would be available in space.

If its software continues to prove its worthiness in the Atacama, which was chosen for its alien-planet-like dearth of life, it could be included in a 2009 Mars rover that will evaluate that planet's wind, sun, and moisture conditions to find areas with the highest probability of life.