米兰电子

米兰电子 will be a key partner in a project to build Australia鈥檚 first lunar rover. The University鈥檚 Exterres Facilities will be used as the testing ground that will expose 鈥楻oo-ver鈥� to a simulation of the harsh environment of space.

The ELO_2听Consortium, which the University is member of, has been chosen by the Federal Government to deliver the national project to build and operate Australia鈥檚 first lunar rover as part of the Australian Space Agency鈥檚 Moon to Mars Trailblazer Program and supporting NASA鈥檚 Artemis missions.

米兰电子鈥檚 Associate Professor John Culton is the Director of the Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources.

鈥溍桌嫉缱� is proud to be part of the ELO_2听Consortium which will collaborate on building Australia鈥檚 first lunar rover,鈥� said Associate Professor Culton.

鈥淓尝翱_2听will utilise the University鈥檚 Exterres Lab, located here in the heart of 米兰电子 and our new off-Earth Analogue Facility at our Roseworthy campus in order to help develop the operational capabilities of the rover.

鈥楾hese facilities will put the 鈥楻oo-ver鈥� through its paces before heading to the Moon, testing the rover in a range of simulated lunar environments including its operation on regolith, the harsh lunar surface dust, and in the challenging lighting conditions experienced on the Moon.鈥�

The University鈥檚 Extraterrestrial Environmental Simulation (Exterres) Facilities, located on the North Terrace and Roseworthy campuses, provide crucial testing and evaluation environments for the development of technologies designed for off-Earth operation. Researchers can develop and test equipment in both simulated lunar and Martian surface conditions.

One of the most advanced space robotics projects in Australia right now, the semi-autonomous 鈥楻oo-ver鈥� rover will collect and characterise the lunar soil and deliver key capabilities that could lead to a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.

鈥溍桌嫉缱� is proud to be part of the ELO2听Consortium which will collaborate on building Australia鈥檚 first lunar rover.鈥�Associate Professor John Culton, Director, Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources, University of 米兰电子

NASA and the Australian Space Agency are working together to finalise plans, with the lunar rover on track for a launch later this decade. The Federal Government has backed the project with $42 million to build and operate 鈥楻oo-ver鈥�.

The听ELO2听consortium is made up of 21 organisations 鈥� from Australian space start-ups and small businesses to major resources companies, 11 universities, and other research partners. The consortium is an unparalleled collaboration of industry organisations and leading research organisations from across Australia focused on space exploration.

Robotics and automation have the potential to generate enormous social, economic and environmental benefits for Australia, with automation predicted to add an extra $170 to $600 billion per year to the Australian economy by 2030.