Articles tagged with "lunar-rover"
Compact lunar rover from Korea advances towards 2027 Moon mission
At CES 2026, South Korea’s Lunar and Planetary Exploration Laboratory (UEL) showcased SCARABS, a compact two-wheel lunar rover designed for reliable surface exploration rather than experimental payloads. Scheduled for launch in 2027, SCARABS benefits from a confirmed lunar delivery agreement with ispace, a leading lunar landing company, ensuring a defined mission timeline. The rover’s design emphasizes simplicity and mobility, with key hardware such as its onboard computer already tested successfully in space aboard South Korea’s Nuri rocket. Further component tests, including motors and electronics, are planned via university CubeSat collaborations later this year. SCARABS marks the initial phase of UEL’s broader lunar ambitions, which include developing a larger rover for scientific missions and advancing long-term lunar infrastructure. The lab collaborates with national research institutes on mining, electronics, aerospace, and radiation studies, and creates artificial lunar and Martian soil simulants to optimize rover traction and propulsion. Looking ahead, UEL is pioneering 3
robotlunar-roverspace-explorationroboticslunar-missionautonomous-vehiclesextraterrestrial-materialsAirless wheel can enable robust, reconfigurable two-wheel lunar rovers
Scientists led by Seong-Bin Lee at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have developed a flexible, airless wheel designed for two-wheeled lunar rovers. This innovative wheel can expand from a compact 230mm diameter to a robust 500mm diameter without hinges, thanks to elastic steel strips arranged in a woven, crossed-helical pattern that evenly distribute weight and reduce wear. The wheel’s unique hub design allows two sides to rotate in opposite directions, enhancing adaptability and durability. In tests, a rover equipped with these wheels successfully traversed simulated lunar soil, climbed over obstacles, withstood a four-meter drop, endured fire exposure, and operated under extreme temperatures, demonstrating its resilience and operational efficiency. The development addresses key challenges in lunar exploration, particularly the need for reliable transportation over rocky, unstable terrain near natural shelters like caves and pits, which are crucial for future lunar bases. Unlike traditional heavy machinery, these reconfigurable wheels offer a safer, more adaptable solution for navigating difficult environments
robotlunar-roverairless-wheelspace-explorationrobotics-engineeringrover-technologyadaptive-materialsJeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Wins Contract to Take NASA Rover to the Moon
NASA has awarded Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company, Blue Origin, a $190 million contract through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program to potentially deliver the VIPER lunar rover to the Moon’s south pole. However, this award is contingent on Blue Origin demonstrating its capability to successfully land its Blue Moon MK1 lunar lander on the Moon by the end of 2025, carrying a NASA technology payload. The contract includes an option for Blue Origin to deliver and deploy the VIPER rover, which NASA will decide on after reviewing the success of the initial Blue Moon MK1 mission. The VIPER rover, designed to explore lunar ice and other resources, is about 2.5 meters tall, weighs nearly 500 kilograms, and is equipped with a drill and scientific instruments. Originally scheduled for launch in 2023, the mission has faced delays and cost increases, leading NASA to seek private partnerships to reduce expenses and focus on scientific objectives. Blue Origin’s Blue Moon MK1 lander will
robotspace-explorationlunar-roverNASABlue-Originlunar-landerroboticsBlue Origin wins NASA deal to ferry VIPER rover to lunar south pole
Blue Origin has secured a significant NASA contract to deliver the VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) to the lunar south pole using its uncrewed Blue Moon Mk1 lander. Valued at approximately $190 million under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, this deal revives the VIPER mission after it was previously shelved due to delays and cost overruns with the original Griffin lander contractor. The rover, about the size of a golf cart, is scheduled to arrive on the moon by late 2027 and will spend around 100 days prospecting and drilling to map water ice deposits near the lunar south pole, a region believed to hold significant stores of water ice. The VIPER mission is crucial for NASA’s long-term lunar exploration goals, as identifying and utilizing in-situ resources like water ice could support sustainable human presence on the moon by providing drinking water, oxygen, and rocket propellant. This contract also marks a key milestone for Blue Origin, providing its
robotlunar-roverspace-explorationNASABlue-Originlunar-resourcesVIPER-roverBlue Origin to deliver NASA’s VIPER rover to Moon in late 2027
NASA has revived its VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) mission to explore the Moon’s south pole, awarding Blue Origin a $190 million Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contract to deliver the rover in late 2027. VIPER will be transported on Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) lander, currently in production, and will conduct a 100-day science mission focused on investigating permanently shadowed regions for water ice and other volatiles. This mission supports NASA’s Artemis program goals of establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon by identifying resources critical for astronaut survival and fuel production. The VIPER mission had previously faced cancellation in July 2024 due to technical delays and cost overruns, despite significant investment and rover assembly completion. However, after pausing dismantling efforts and reconsidering strategy, NASA officially reinstated the mission with Blue Origin’s involvement. Blue Origin will manage the entire landing process, including payload integration and rover deployment,
robotspace-explorationlunar-roverBlue-OriginNASAArtemis-missionlunar-landerFirefly wins $177M NASA deal for lunar south pole rover mission
Firefly Aerospace has been awarded a $176.7 million NASA contract under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program to deliver five payloads to the Moon’s south pole in 2029. The mission will utilize Firefly’s Elytra orbital vehicle to carry the Blue Ghost lunar lander into lunar orbit. Blue Ghost will then deploy two rovers—including the Canadian Space Agency’s MoonRanger—and three scientific instruments designed to analyze lunar surface composition, assess environmental hazards, and study lander engine interactions with the regolith. The lander is expected to operate on the surface for over 12 days, while Elytra will remain in orbit for more than five years, providing data relay and imaging services via Firefly’s Ocula lunar imaging platform. This mission, known as Blue Ghost Mission 4, builds on Firefly’s prior success with Blue Ghost Mission 1, which completed all its scientific objectives. Firefly plans to expand its lunar presence by deploying two additional Elytra Dark vehicles
robotlunar-roverspace-explorationNASA-missionlunar-resourcesrobotic-missionlunar-imagingNASA needs your help reinventing wheels for Moon rovers
NASA, in collaboration with HeroX, has launched the “Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge,” inviting innovators worldwide to design and test new wheel and tire concepts for the MicroChariot Rover. This initiative aims to develop flexible, lightweight, and durable wheels capable of withstanding the Moon’s harsh environment while supporting sustainable surface operations and carrying payloads across rugged terrain. The challenge will unfold in three phases: ideation and design starting this fall, prototyping from winter to spring 2026, and a demonstration phase in summer 2026, with up to $150,000 in prizes available. NASA seeks wheel designs that improve upon rigid wheels by offering higher-speed mobility through better shock absorption, low mass, and extended service life. Participants must demonstrate how their designs can be scaled without re-tooling and explain the underlying science. Finalist prototypes will be tested on NASA’s 100-pound MicroChariot Ground Test Unit, capable of speeds up to 15 MPH. The challenge leverages crowdsourcing to
robotlunar-roverNASAwheel-designmaterials-engineeringspace-explorationmobility-technologyNASA's new toys for Artemis mission to map lunar subsurface, minerals
NASA has selected three new scientific instruments to study the moon’s south polar region as part of the Artemis mission. Two instruments—the Artemis Infrared Reflectance and Emission Spectrometer (AIRES) and the Lunar Microwave Active-Passive Spectrometer (L-MAPS)—will be mounted on the Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), a rover designed to carry astronauts and operate remotely. AIRES will analyze sunlight reflection to detect minerals and volatiles on the surface, creating detailed compositional maps, while L-MAPS will use ground-penetrating radar and temperature sensors to scan up to 40 meters underground, locating buried ice and studying the subsurface structure. The third instrument, the Ultra-Compact Imaging Spectrometer for the Moon (UCIS-Moon), will be placed on a future moon-orbiting satellite to capture high-resolution images of surface water, minerals, and human impact, aiding resource mapping and astronaut navigation. These instruments collectively aim to enhance understanding of the moon’s composition and environment
robotlunar-roverArtemis-missionspace-explorationlunar-subsurface-mappingmineral-detectionNASA-technology