Micro Nova hopping Lander (µNova)
ROVER MASS
ROVER DIMENSIONS
Carry 1kg for more than 2.5 km. Capable of traveling up to 25 km from its host lander.
Relay communications by sending the data back to Nova-C lander
Intuitive Machines, LLC, USA
76.2 cm in length, width and height.
13 kg
For this mission design, Micro-Nova can carry a 1-kg payload.
Otherwise, it can carry upto 5 kg.
Solar panels
SpaceX Falcon 9
ROVER MOBILITY
PAYLOAD BAY (AVAILABLE MASS)
PAYLOAD BAY SIZE
POWER SOURCE
POWER GENERATION & USAGE
POWER DISTRIBUTION (FOR PAYLOAD)
INTERFACES AVAILABLE (FOR PAYLOAD)
COMMUNICATIONS AVAILABLE
COST
LANDER COMPANY
LAUNCH VEHICLE
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ROVER MANIFEST
It has its own propulsion, and navigation sensors. Micro-Nova has a camera and will be equipped to provide high resolution stereo images in areas that are in direct sunlight, which will also enable detailed engineering and science planning for future missions. The hopper will also measure the temperature of the PSR (Permanently Shadowed Regions), which will be very cold.
MISSION PLAN
The µNova payload will separate from the Nova-C lander after landing and function as a standalone hopper lander, exploring multiple difficult-to-reach areas such as deep craters on the lunar surface. Micro-Nova will hop around the Moon’s surface and take the first-ever pictures inside craters on the lunar south pole. µNova enables a number of mission types, including regional surveys, prospecting of multiple dispersed sites, and accessing hard-to-reach locations like permanently shadowed regions, lunar pits, and craters.