The Australian Space Agency (ASA) announced Friday that NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program will launch Australia’s first Moon rover by the end of the decade.
The ASA said the rover, called Roo-ver, will be sent to the lunar surface on NASA’s CT-4 mission by the end of the 2020s.
According to the space agency, NASA has given the rover “key research objectives” that include gathering fresh information on the lunar surface to help advance global space science and exploration objectives.
“In time, Roo-ver’s explorations will help global efforts to establish a possible sustainable human presence in space,” according to the ASA.
The rover, which will weigh roughly 20 kilos, will be designed, built, and operated by the Australian-led consortium ELO2, the federal government said in December 2024.
It is anticipated that Roo-ver will function for as long as 14 Earth days, or almost half a day on the Moon.
The rover’s development and launch will motivate the STEM workforce required for Australia’s future, Tim Ayres, Minister for Industry and Innovation and Science, stated on Friday.
“This is one of the most specialized robotics and advanced manufacturing projects in the country,” Ayres stated.
“It’s accelerating the development of Australia’s advanced technical capabilities and deepening local manufacturing expertise,” he stated.
For the development, design, construction, and operation of the semi-autonomous rover, the government has allocated 42 million Australian dollars ($27.4 million).
An integrated NASA payload, an analysis tool designed to showcase technologies for scientific and exploration reasons, will supercharge Roo-ver, according to the ASA.
“In time, Roo-ver’s explorations will help global efforts to establish a possible sustainable human presence in space,” it stated.