Scientists from the German Aerospace Centre are testing robots on Europe's most active volcano, Mount Etna, ahead of future missions to the moon.

Experts from Germany, England, the United States and Italy are involved in ROBEX (Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments) which aims to improve robotic equipment for use in space and explore the depths of Mount Etna to relay back vital technical data on seismic movement.

The team hope the techniques learnt on Etna would then be deployed in lunar missions or in the exploration of Mars.