MoonRanger
ROVER MASS
No isotope heating, so battery and electronics will fail when night lunar falls and cryogenic temperatures set in.
ROVER DIMENSIONS
Cover up to 1,000 m over the course of one Earth day, in both sunlit and dark conditions.
Relay communications back to Earth, transmitting via the Masten lander.
It must return to the lander, and establish a short-range wireless communication so the lander's radio can relay the robot's findings to Earth.
Masten Space Systems, USA
About the size of a suitcase
19 kg
Solar powered rover
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
ROVER MANIFEST
1) The MoonRanger will carry the Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS), which will measure the concentration of hydrogen in the Moon’s regolith – a possible indication of the existence of buried water. 2) MoonRanger has self-sufficient power, electronics, thermal regulation, navigation, and autonomy. 3) MoonRanger will demonstrate communications and mapping technologies. It will demonstrate the ability to move quickly across long distances on the lunar surface with autonomous navigation and without the ability to communicate with Earth in real time. It is a technology that could enable exploration of destinations that are far from lunar landing sites.
MISSION PLAN
A micro rover with the mobility and autonomy to operate in difficult polar conditions. It will explore for lunar ice and map its journey on the lunar south pole. XL-1 is Masten’s first lunar lander and will demonstrate robotic lunar surface delivery with a payload capacity of 100kg. The vehicle uses a new, unique, and proprietary green, non-toxic propellant.