ESA - Hopping rovers for lunar exploration - European Space …
Feb 23, 2021 · More extreme rocky surfaces are challenging, and the risk of the lone rover becoming lodged or toppling is high. Inspired by biology, this study carried out by the University of Manchester investigated a network of low-cost, low-mass agile hopping rovers that can vault and bounce in complex terrain.
Japan's rolling and hopping lunar rovers send back images of the moon
Jan 25, 2024 · Japan’s moon lander has sent back its first images. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) landed on the moon on 18 January, and now its operators at the Japan Aerospace Exploration...
A robot hopper to explore the moon's dangerous terrain - Phys.org
Apr 4, 2024 · Known as South Pole Hopper (or S.P. Hopper), the robot will be the first of a new class called µNova. Weighing in at only 35 kg and standing only 70 cm tall, this miniaturized craft is a...
Development of a compact jumping lunar rover driven by shape …
Jun 14, 2024 · In this study, we developed a compact rover for hopping on low-gravity planets like the moon, exploring the use of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators to lighten propulsion. Previous designs attached SMA actuators directly to …
Hopper Rover, LEV-1, SLIM Mission - Lunar Resources Registry
Feb 1, 2024 · LEV-1, is affectionately known as the Hopping Rover, because of its unique process of traversing the Lunar terrain. It is a small robotic explorer deployed (before the faceplant touchdown) from the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM).
NASA funds hopper to explore lunar polar craters - ASU News
Jul 16, 2021 · Arizona State University is partnering with Intuitive Machines on a mini extreme mobility lunar vehicle, called Micro-Nova, that will hop around the moon’s surface and take the first-ever pictures inside craters close to the lunar south pole.
A hop, skip and a jump on the moon — and beyond | MIT News ...
Aug 18, 2010 · Although unmanned, wheeled rovers have explored the surfaces of the moon and Mars for decades, these vehicles have limits — they can’t crawl inside craters, scale cliffs or travel long distances.
SLIM moon lander revived after solar power setback - SpaceNews
Jan 29, 2024 · SLIM also carried a pair of small, innovative rovers which it successfully deployed onto the moon in the final stages of descent. The 2.1-kilogram Lunar Excursion Vehicle 1 (LEV-1) uses a...
Polish researchers develop lunar hopper to replace rovers
Mar 27, 2024 · Polish engineers have developed the leg mechanism for the lunar hopper. The robot, commissioned by the European Space Agency (ESA), is intended to be an alternative to rovers that cannot always handle the difficult terrain of the Moon.
NASA Presses Forward Search for VIPER Moon Rover Partner
16 hours ago · Potential partners would need to arrange for the integration and successful landing of the rover on the Moon, conduct a science/exploration campaign, and disseminate VIPER-generated science data. The partner may not disassemble the rover and use its instruments or parts separately from the VIPER mission. NASA’s selection approach will favor ...