The Australian Space Agency, in partnership with NASA, is working with Australia’s space industry to design and build an Australian-made, semi-autonomous rover as part of the Trailblazer program under its Moon to Mars initiative. Drawing on Australia’s world-leading remote operations expertise, the rover will collect lunar soil, known as regolith, and NASA will attempt to extract oxygen from the sample. This is a key step towards a sustainable human presence on the Moon.
AROSE is one of two Australian consortiums selected by NASA to work on early-stage rover prototypes as part of Stage One of the Trailblazer program. Stage Two will see one consortium selected to design and develop the fully realised rover for its mission to the Moon. The rover is set to launch to the Moon with NASA in a future Artemis mission by as early as 2026.
The competition: The Australian Space Agency wants to bring everyone on our nation’s journey to the Moon. Australians now have the chance to be part of history, with the opportunity to name Australia’s rover that will go to the Moon. Both individuals and schools can enter a rover name. Schools can also access a presentation and supporting material that provides an overview of the mission and competition to get Australian students excited and engaged in this opportunity. These materials are available via: https://www.industry.gov.au/news/competition-to-name-australias-lunar-rover
Entries close Friday 20 October 2023 and all the information about the competition can be found here www.space.gov.au
