Category Archives: Lunar Rovers

Tuesday / 25 February 2025

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Intuitive Machines IM-2 Launching to Moon on Wednesday 26 Feb

Inaugural occurrence of 3 lunar landers simultaneously enroute to Moon expected with 26 Feb launch of IM-2 Athena, now in fairing of SpaceX Falcon 9, departure from Kennedy Space Center complex 39A window opens 19:17 EST; headed near highest Moon mountain Mons Mouton, ~60 km from South Pole, Athena will search for water with NASA payload Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 and IM “Grace” hopper; other payload customers are Nokia, Lone Star Data Holdings, Columbia Sportswear, Lunar Outpost, Puli Space, Dymon Co. Ltd., German Aerospace Center

Credits: Intuitive Machines, NASA, SpaceX

Tuesday / 11 February 2025

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Dedication to Artemis Program Remains Strong

Artemis Accords represent collaborative, international effort with USA as a rallying point for now 50 nations and organizations; joint statement between Japan Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and US President Trump affirms continued partnership for Artemis missions; JAXA is developing pressurized lunar rover, will provide 2 astronauts, and works with ESA on lunar Gateway; NASA has issued RFP from companies to assume VIPER project search for water ice under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement; other policy changes involve SLS shutdown; archived LEAG Artemis recommendations are now available here 

Pictured: PM Ishiba; Credits: The White House, JAXA, NASA, LEAG

Tuesday / 4 February 2025

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Houston Autoboative MOON ROVERS Show?

NASA call for Lunar Terrain Vehicles for Artemis brought proposals to Houston Autoboative (car and boat) Show from Intuitive Machines, Astrolab Venturi and Lunar Outpost; IM Moon RACER (Reusable Autonomous Crewed Exploration Rover) engineered with 9 partners and Apollo Moonwalkers Charlie Duke and Harrison Schmitt carries 400kg cargo plus 800kg on a trailer; AV FLEX Rover features NASA-proven software, robotic arm able to place 25kg load, and hyper-flexible wheels; LO Lunar Dawn LTV Eagle developed with GM, Goodyear and MDA Space

Credits: Lunar Outpost, Astrolab Venturi, Intuitive Machines

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 12-15 Apr 2024

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Japan Astronauts to Join 2 Artemis Lunar Surface Missions, Perhaps Becoming First Non-Americans on Moon

Building on prior agreements under which a Japan Astronaut will join a Gateway mission in lunar orbit (JAXA is to provide life support and power for I-Hab module and deliver supplies via HTV-XG spacecraft), USA and Japan are increasing lunar cooperation to include 2 opportunities for JAXA crewmembers to join Artemis Moon landings; In exchange Japan is to provide pressurized lunar rover designed to accommodate 2 astronauts for MSP sojourns up to 30 days on Artemis mission 7 and beyond over 10 year nominal lifespan

Pictured: (Clockwise) USA President Joe Biden, Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Japan Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Masahito Moriyama, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson
Credits: JAXA, NASA

Tuesday / 19 March 2024

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Hopping Lunar Rovers Planned for USA, China and Europe Surface Missions

Unconventional mobility technology that achieve locomotion with bouncing maneuvers / thrusters rather than wheels is headed for the Moon; Intuitive Machines Micro-Nova (29 kg wet) developed with ASU under $41.6M NASA contract to investigate PSR within Marston crater using Canadensys 39°x51 and 186° FoV imagers following deployment from IM-2 Shackleton – de Gerlache connecting ridge landing site (89.5°S, 222.0°E) NET Q4 2024; CNSA Chang’E-7 mini-flying probe to carry Lunar Water Molecular Analyzer into PSR near Shackleton crater rim NET 5 March 2026; ESA-funded 10-kg hopper being developed by Astronika of Poland utilizes parkour-like flipping maneuver to traverse 3-9 meters vertically on Moon whereas IM and CNSA probes to be propelled via thrusters

Credits: Astronika / Space Research Centre of Polish Academy of Sciences, Intuitive Machines, CNSA via Inside Outer Space screengrab

Friday / 19 Jan 2024

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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Moon Mission Preparing for Final Landing Approach

JAXA Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) currently in elliptical 600 x 150 km lunar orbit following Perigee Descent Maneuver #1 (PDM1) which transferred craft from a 600 x 600 km circular orbit on 17 Jan 22:28 JST (13:28 UTC); Operators now preparing for PDM2, which is slated to bring orbit perilune even closer to the lunar surface (15 m) while maintaining 600 km apolune at ~22:40 JST (13:40 UTC) on 19 Jan; Mission success to be measured by 3 criteria: achieving soft landing (minimum), verification of <100 m landing accuracy (full) and continued operations until lunar nightfall (extra); Onboard Multiband Camera to investigate area around 13.2° S, 25.3° E landing site for mineral composition (specifically olivine) and LEV-1 /-2 rovers to explore & image lander; JAXA to livestream landing descent starting 20 Jan 00:00 JST (19 Jan 15:00 UTC)

Credits: JAXA

Friday / 6 Oct 2023

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Japan Lunar Spacecraft Loops Past Moon on Circuitous Route to Precise Landing

700-kg Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) passed within 4,992 km of the lunar surface, imaging Moon from ~7,000-km and is now on long, fuel-saving path to LOI expected to take 2-3 months, followed by a month in lunar orbit with landing within 100-m target zone near Shioli crater / Cyrillus crater rim (13.3°S, 25.2°E) NET Jan 2024; Japan will come 5th nation to soft-land on Moon (after USA, USSR, China, India) if SLIM is successful; Payloads include Multi-Band Camera, Lunar Excursion Vehicle, Laser Retro-reflector

Credits: JAXA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 August 2023

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India Exploring Area Near Moon South Pole with Chandrayaan-3

ISRO now conducting the farthest expedition into the lunar south ever, with landing site 69.374454°S, 32.318695°E ~625km from the southernmost point on the Moon (90°S on Shackleton crater rim); Lander Module Vikram and Pragyan rover operating nominally with ILSA, RAMBHA and ChaSTE instruments activated and ready to take seismic, ionic and thermal readings; APXS and LIBS will perform X-ray and laser spectroscopy to determine chemical, mineralogical and elemental composition of regolith from Pragyan, now rolled out and >8 meters from LM

Friday / 25 Aug 2023

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JAXA Counting Down to Launch of Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM)

SLIM set to lift off on H-2A rocket with XRISM rideshare from Tanegashima Space Center 26 August 09:34 JST (00:34 UTC) for 4–6-month journey to landing site at 13.2°S, 25.2°E, an area east of Shioli, a 270-m diameter crater emanating distinctive bright rays (itself within 98-km Cyrillus crater, west of Mare Nectaris); 200-kg (dry) SLIM will take fuel-efficient route to lunar orbit taking ~3-4 months, followed by ~1 month in lunar orbit prior to surface descent; Primary mission objective is validation of vision-based navigation system with <100m accuracy; JAXA will stream launch with live coverage starting 09:00 JST (00:00 UTC)

Tuesday / 22 Aug 2023

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ISRO Making Final Checks While Awaiting Lunar Daybreak at Chandrayaan-3 Landing Site

Chandryaan-3 Vikram lunar lander in elliptical 25 x 134 km lunar orbit as ISRO operators at Mission Operations Complex in Bengaluru ensuring craft readiness ahead of powered descent to Moon surface ~20° from MSP set to begin 23 Aug 12:15 UTC, with touchdown on lunar surface now scheduled ~19 minutes later at 12:34 UTC; Landing to be supported by NASA and ESA Deep Space Network antennas in Canberra and Madrid with backup relay via Chandrayaan-2 orbiter; ISRO encourages schools to observe historic moment which will ‘fuel curiosity’ and ‘spark passion for exploration’; Live coverage starts 11:50 UTC