Category Archives: Lunar Rovers

Tuesday / 1 Sep 2020

Posted on by

“Lunar Cruiser” Moniker For Moon Surface Transport Announced By Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency And Toyota

A Lunar Vehicle Capable Of Both Autonomous And Crewed Function, Powered By Hybrid Hydrogen Fuel Cells / Solar Panel, Receives Nickname Homage To Venerable ‘Land Cruiser’ Line Of Off-Road Vehicles Said To Ensure Occupants ‘Come Back Alive’; The 6-wheeled, 6-meter Long Vessel Is To Contain 42.67 Meter2 Pressurized Crew Cabin And Have Range Of ~10,000-km, About The Circumference Of The Moon; Lunar Cruiser Considered Focal Point For Team Japan Study Meeting, A 100+ Strong Association Of Japan Enterprises With Goal Of Lunar Society Actualization

Credits: JAXA, Toyota, Team Japan Study Meeting

Friday / 17 July 2020

Posted on by

NASA JPL Miniaturized Payload Concept Contest Advances Lunar Exploration Technology

Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative Awards US$160K Through ‘Honey I Shrunk The Payload’ Competition; Design Parameters Constrain Surface Probes To Mass Of 0.4kg, Physical Dimensions Of 100mm x 100mm x 50mm; 14 International Teams And Individuals Selected From 132 Entries; Team Sun Slicers Led By Phil Jobson Takes Lunar Environment Category 1st Place ($30K) For XRAY Spectrometer, Puli Space Technologies Led By (L-R) David Lucsanyi And Tibor Pacher Wins 1st In Resource Potential Category For Lunar Water Snooper ($30K); Crowdsourcing Platform HeroX, Created By Peter Diamandis, Utilized Throughout Contest

Credits: NASA, Puli Space Technologies, Team Sun Slicers, HeroX, Team Stardust, Monash Nova Rover Team

Tuesday / 14 July 2020

Posted on by

China, Argentina, USA Student Teams Design Rovers To Be Raced On Moon

Intuitive Machines, Builder Of Nova-C Lander – Set To Be (October 2021) One Of The First Commercial Craft To Land On Moon – In Conjunction With Education / Media Enterprise Moon Mark Awards 3 International Efforts From 35 Entries Spanning 11 Nations US$1000 Prizes For Lunar Race Car Design Challenge; IM VP Trent Martin Says Program Intended “Specifically To Inspire The Next Generation” And With STEM Educations “They Might Eventually Change The World”; 6 Teams Will Begin Construction (January 2021) Of Racing Rovers Totaling 10kg Out Of 100-kg Lander Payload Capacity

Credits: Intuitive Machines, Moon Mark

Tuesday / 23 June 2020

Posted on by

Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) Competition Advances Artemis Lunar Exploration / Commerce

University Teams From Across USA Compete In NASA National Institute Of Aerospace Administered RASC-AL; Space Ideas Judged By Professionals From SpaceX, NASA, Blue Origin, Aerojet Rocketdyne; University Of Puerto Rico Wins South Pole Multi-Purpose Rover Category / Overall First Place With EMPRESS: Exploration Multi-Purpose Rover For Expanding Surface Science – Continuing Winning Streak From 2019; Commercial Cislunar Space Development Is New Category For 2020, Won By University Of Texas For Lunar Engraver; Top 2 Teams Secure Place At AIAA Hosted ASCEND 2020 Nov 16-18

Credits: NASA, NIA, UPR, UT, GIT, UM

Friday / 12 June 2020

Posted on by

Artemis Awards Astrobotic US$199.5M For Moon South Pole 2023 VIPER Launch, 19D CLPS Task Order Could Be Announced In Summer

Under Task Order 20A Astrobotic Griffin Lander With 500-kg Capacity To Deliver JSC-built, 450-kg Remotely Controlled Vehicle For 20-km Mission Over 100-Earth Days To Seek Water Ice At Moon South Pole, Vital Resource For Both Human Sustenance And Separating Into Oxygen / Hydrogen For Fuel, Launch Provider Unannounced; ULA Vulcan Planning To Lift Smaller Peregrine Lander To Lunar Surface NET July 2021 On Maiden Flight

Credits:  Astrobotic Technology

Tuesday / 9 June 2020

Posted on by

Moon Mark / Intuitive Machines: Moon Racing Program Aims To Inspire Youth & Create New Modes Of Exploration

STEAM Infotainment Enterprise Moon Mark Partners With Lunar Lander Provider Intuitive Machines On Lunar Race Car Design Challenge In Which 6 Student Teams Compete To See 2 Concepts Manufactured And Raced On The Surface Of Moon During IM-1 Mission Set For October 2021; Vehicles Are Limited To 5kg With Uniform Electric Propulsion Systems, Moon Mark Mission 1 Will “Provide Accessible Content For Students, Teachers And The Public” Says CEO Mary Hagy (T); Contest Judged By Astronautical Professionals On Space-Worthiness, Teamwork, Innovation, Creativity/Outreach And Entrepreneurship

 

Credits: Intuitive Machines, Moon Mark

Friday / 22 May 2020

Posted on by

Small Student-Built Robotic Rover ‘Iris’ May Be First Ever From USA To Explore Moon

Carnegie Mellon University Developed Lunar Rover Iris, Named For 2 Onboard Video Cameras, Having Passed NASA Design Review Is Now Being Modified And Readied For Payload Integration On Peregrine Lander For July 2021 Launch; William ‘Red’ Whittaker, Professor Of CMU Robotics Institute And Astrobotic Founder Leads Team; R&D Funded By US$125,000 NASA Small Business Innovation Research Award; At ~ 2kg, Small / Inexpensive ‘CubeRover’ Class Planetary Surface Probes Reportedly To Be Marketed By Astrobotic For Future Missions

Credits: CMU, NASA, ASTROBOTIC

Tuesday / 28 April 2020

Posted on by

SpaceBit Aims To Land “Arachnid-Like” Asagumo Rover Built On Modular 6U CubeSat Chassis

SpaceBit Of UK Reportedly Creating Redundant Designs Amid Global Supply Chain Uncertainty, Allowing Independent Assembly Of 1-1.3 kg Rover In USA, UK, Japan; Spacebit Mission One Striving To Meet Q3 2021 Maiden Launch Of ULA Vulcan Centaur / Astrobotic Peregrine Lander; Partnered With Yuzhnoye Design Office, Ecuadorian Space Agency, Dereum Labs Of Mexico; Pavlo Tanasyuk Signs Agreement At 3rd MVA Workshop & Symposium With Japan Company Dymon To Image Asagumo On Lunar Surface, Spacebit To Reciprocate With Picture Of Yaoki Rover

Credits: Spacebit, Astrobotic, ULA