NASA Selects Carnegie Mellon, Astrobotic To Build Lunar Robot
July 11, 2019 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
NASA has chosen Carnegie Mellon University and Astrobotic to build a rover that will land on the moon as early as 2021.
The rover, called MoonRanger, will be about the size of a suitcase and weigh about 24 pounds on Earth. It will be fast and autonomous to accomplish long-range exploration missions within the span of a week. That’s about the amount of time that a robot could operate on the moon before the onset of the lunar night and the accompanying deep freeze that would damage its electronics.
“This capability will transform the exploration achievements that are possible by near term ‘missions in a week,’” said William “Red” Whittaker, director of the Field Robotics Center, who will lead the development and construction of MoonRanger. The rover is designed to produce detailed 3D maps of the terrain and could be used to explore the polar regions for signs of ice or lunar pits for entrances to moon caves.
The rover, called MoonRanger, will be fast and autonomous to accomplish long-range exploration missions within the span of a week.
MoonRanger is too small to carry a radio powerful enough to communicate directly with Earth. That means it must have autonomy for navigating, making data-gathering decisions and returning to its lander. Data and discoveries from MoonRanger’s explorations will be relayed to Earth when it periodically returns within radio range of its lander.
NASA’s Lunar Surface and Instrumentation and Technology Payload (LSITP) program awarded a $5.6 million contract to Astrobotic and Carnegie Mellon to develop a flight-ready robot. It will be delivered to the moon on an upcoming mission through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.
This is the third moon research project for Whittaker that has been announced since early June.
NASA already has approved $2 million for Whittaker to develop robotic technology necessary for investigating lunar pits. Such a mission likely wouldn’t be launched until 2023. Carnegie Mellon also announced it will send a smaller, four-pound robot built by Whittaker’s team to the moon in 2021 aboard a lander built by Astrobotic.
“This latest NASA award to develop MoonRanger for a mission to the moon is another example of how Astrobotic is the world leader in lunar logistics,” said John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic, a CMU spinoff. “Our lander and rover capabilities are designed to deliver our customers to the moon and allow them to carry out meaningful, low-cost activities for science, exploration and commerce.”
Suggested Items
Northrop Grumman’s Integrated Battle Command System Demonstrates Another Successful LTAMDS and Patriot Live-Fire Integration
04/08/2024 | Northrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation’s Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) seamlessly fused data from a Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) to acquire, track, engage and intercept a long-range cruise missile surrogate with a PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement during a recent test event held at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
US Navy’s Need for New X-Band Radar Underscored by Service’s Red Sea Fight
04/02/2024 | ThalesThe Navy’s search for a next-generation X-band radar is becoming more relevant by the day as U.S. warships fight in the first significant naval conflict since World War II.
inTEST Expands Electronic Test Capabilities with Acquisition of Alfamation S.p.A.
03/14/2024 | BUSINESS WIRETerms of the acquisition are being filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Alfamation will become a part of the Electronic Test division within inTEST.
SAIC Receives $444 Million Contract to Provide System Modernization for Space Launch Ranges
03/12/2024 | BUSINESS WIREScience Applications International Corp. has been awarded a $444 million contract to support Digital Transformation, Acquisition, Modernization and Modification (DTAMM) for the U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command and Space Launch Deltas (SLDs) 30 and 45.
Lockheed Martin Awarded $219M To Produce Additional PrSM Units For US Army
03/08/2024 | Lockheed MartinThe U.S. Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a $219 million contract to produce more Early Operational Capability (EOC) Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM).