Australia seeks public input to develop its inaugural lunar rover arm. The country is progressing towards exploring the lunar surface with its first robotic rover, set to launch in collaboration with NASA's Artemis program by 2026.
Seeking Public Input
Named "Roo-ver" after the iconic Kangaroo, the rover's moniker emerged victorious from a naming competition featuring over 8,000 entries. The Australian Space Agency now invites Australians to contribute to designing a key component, the Regolith Sample Acquisition Device.
This is designed to gather lunar samples and deliver them to NASA's tools, such as the In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), enabling comprehensive scientific analysis.
Organized by Freelancer.com in collaboration with the space consortium ELO2, the ELO2 Big Dipper Lunar Regolith Acquisition Challenge stands as an innovative endeavor in the realm of space exploration.
Trisha Epp, program manager at Freelancer.com, expressed enthusiasm about contributing to history by aiding ELO2 in crafting a regolith collector for Australia's premier lunar rover.
Phase 1 of the challenge has concluded with the announcement of winners who presented diverse designs for the lunar arm tasked with gathering and storing regolith samples from the Moon's surface. Each winning design underwent rigorous testing to ensure its feasibility.
Joseph Kenrick, ELO2's technical director, commended the quality and quantity of submissions received in Phase 1, emphasizing participating teams' valuable insights and perspectives. Looking forward to Phase 2, he anticipates further advancements in the design of the regolith acquisition device.
Cash Rewards
Cash rewards were distributed based on the ranking of participants in Phase 1 of the competition. The top three winners in first place each received $2,100, three second-place winners awarded $1,600, and four third-place winners received $975 each.
The competition has moved to its second phase, inviting the public to contribute ideas and designs for future regolith acquisition devices. Participants are urged to think about the tough conditions on the Moon, the features of the regolith, how long the device will operate, and how much energy it will use.
Applicants interested in joining the competition can submit a one-page infographic, with the deadline set for March 8. The winners will be announced on April 1, sharing a total prize pool of $3,000.
The current concept design for the Roo-ver suggests a weight of approximately 44 pounds (20 kilograms). This semi-autonomous robot is anticipated to land in the demanding terrain near the Moon's south pole.
A primary objective of the rover is to collect samples of lunar soil. These collected samples will enable NASA instruments to extract oxygen, a process with potential applications such as supporting lunar astronauts and producing rocket fuel.
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