SPONSORS: IMDEX, OZ Minerals, South32
An Australian rover for use on the moon is one step closer to reality after AROSE consortium received a funding boost from the federal government’s moon to mars Initiative Demonstrator Feasibility grants, administered through the Australian Space Agency.
AROSE will use the funding to develop a pilot concept for a remotely operated Lunar Construction Rover that could be used by NASA as part of its Artemis Mission to return to the moon by 2024 and establish a sustained and safe presence there.
Project Lead, Sarah Cannard, from AROSE member organisation Nova Systems, described how the rover will contribute to Artemis saying:
“Much like building a house, someone needs to do the groundwork and prepare the foundation first. This will be the type of basic, but essential foundational services the Service Rover will provide to establish landing and instrumentation sites on the lunar surface and support lunar infrastructure activities.”
“The Service Rover will also support modest digging requirements to collect and deliver regolith (loose rocks from the lunar surface) and other in-situ resources, as well as to support certain types of science tasks.”
AROSE consortium members are developing the concept and feasibility for the Lunar Service Rover, combining Australia’s world leading expertise in Remote Operations, with extensive Space heritage, research, and technical experience from across the consortium. IMDEX, South 32 and Oz Minerals have sponsored this project which is due May 2022.
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