Australia’s first lunar rover has moved closer to a planned Moon mission after a new prototype underwent tests for autonomous operation at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane.
The suitcase-sized vehicle, known as Roo-ver, is being assessed at a lunar testing facility on QUT’s Kelvin Grove campus. Engineers are using a simulated lunar landscape to examine how it handles uneven, rocky terrain.
Weighing 20kg on Earth, the rover would weigh about 3kg on the Moon because of the lower gravity. Its cameras and sensors are designed to detect hazards such as rocks and craters in real time, enabling it to navigate around obstacles without human intervention.
“This time we’re going to the moon to work, to be able to stay there, to establish a sustainable presence,” said Roo-ver technical director Katie Doyle.
The Australian lunar rover is being developed as part of the country’s 42 million dollar contribution to Nasa’s Artemis programme. Its planned mission would last for one lunar day, equivalent to about two weeks on Earth, during which it would test the soil to determine whether it could sustain life.
Keegan Buzza, an Australian Space Agency representative, described the Artemis era as a new phase of exploration.
“This is space exploration 2.0,” he said. “The Artemis era is the Apollo for our generation.”
Countries involved in the international effort to return humans to the Moon have signed the Artemis Accords, with close to 80 nations contributing to the programme. The current testing is intended to help ensure the final robotic explorer is ready for its journey.
“So that when we build our final flight rover, we will have full confidence that it will go to the moon,” Ms Doyle said.
The project is also intended to strengthen Australia’s growing space industry. Technology and expertise developed through the mission are expected to support future missions to Mars, while the space economy is forecast to triple over the next decade.
“We learn more, we build more capability in Australia,” said Ben Sorensen, director of the Roo-ver consortium.
