RESOLVE lunar rover ISRU prototype

[MajorBringdown]

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120612/SPACE/120612012/NASA-reveals-prototype-new-lunar-rover

A short article and video on the CSA/NASA collaborative rover, RESOLVE.

[A_M_Swallow]

The project Morpheus lunar lander test bed hopes to be flying around KSC next month.  They are aiming for payloads of up to 500 kg (1100 lb).  What is the mass of the RESOLVE rover?

[ChileVerde]

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120612/SPACE/120612012/NASA-reveals-prototype-new-lunar-rover

A short article and video on the CSA/NASA collaborative rover, RESOLVE.

This is excellent, and I hope it makes it to the moon.  The present knowledge about lunar ice gives considerable hope for ISRU, but we still don't have enough knowledge to formulate a realistic plan for it.  This sort of rover could close the gap.

[MajorBringdown]

The project Morpheus lunar lander test bed hopes to be flying around KSC next month.  They are aiming for payloads of up to 500 kg (1100 lb).  What is the mass of the RESOLVE rover?

Not certain on details... but I've found another article about it...

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/mobile/news/national-news/Made+Ottawa+moon+rover+gets+coming+party/6777833/story.html

That seems to be the mobile version of the article, so beware of bad formatting on a desktop browser.

From that article, I got the name of the rover incorrect.  The rover is actually called Artemis Jr., which was built for NASA's RESOLVE (Regolith & Environment Science and Oxygen & Lunar Volatile Extraction) project.  It also mentions an Artemis rover for hauling cargo or people.

It also sounds like the CSA didn't do a major reveal of it in Canada because they are planning on doing that in the fall, along with revealing some other rovers. 

Personally, I would have preferred the name 'Scooty Puff Jr.', even though they are terrible at getting away from infospheres.

[MajorBringdown]

http://www.provectus-robotics.com/technology.html

Here's the website of one of the companies involved (software, I think).  The two lunar rovers are at the bottom of the page.  The details are very sparse.  The Artemis Jr. link just goes to a picture.

[catdlr]

Resolve Rover Begins Testing

Published on Jul 13, 2012 by NASAKennedy
NASA is developing a robotic explorer at Kennedy Space Center in Florida
to track down water on the moon, Mars or on an asteroid.

[A_M_Swallow]

The Earth version has a mass of 600 lb.  The lunar version is much lighter.

Can the rover and equipment survive the lunar night?
Or would a heated garage be needed?

[HappyMartian]

Would the RESOLVE rover be suitable for surveying the road's route?

It is solar powered so you would have to check how long it can work in darkness.

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/ground/resolverover.html

Use the continuous or nearly continuous solar power at the rim to transmit power via a laser to the RESOLVE rover in the shallow or deep Lunar crater.


"2009: Lasermotive uses diode laser to win $900k NASA prize in power beaming, breaking several world records in power and distance, by transmitting over a kilowatt more than several hundred meters.[107]"
From: Wireless energy transfer
At: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_beaming#Beamed_power.2C_size.2C_distance.2C_and_efficiency



"The company's stated first goal was to win the Beam Power Challenge, part of the Space Elevator Games, to power a small climber up a vertical tether. They have partnered with Boeing, which provided them with test facilities, as well as specialized solar cells.[4] In 2007, they failed to qualify for the Challenge due to difficulties meeting NASA's specifications.[5][6]"

And, "At the 2009 Challenge, on November 6, 2009, LaserMotive successfully used lasers to drive a 4.8 kg (11 lb) device up a 900 m (2,950 ft) cable suspended from a helicopter.[7][8] Energy is transmitted to the climber using a high-power infrared beam.[9]"

And, "LaserMotive's entry, which was the only to top the cable, reached an average speed of 13 km/h (8.1 mph) and earned a $900,000 prize. This marked both a performance record, and the first award of a cash prize at the Challenge.[8]"
From: LaserMotive
At: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasermotive



"Lockheed Martin and LaserMotive recently demonstrated the capabilities of an innovative laser power system to extend the Stalker Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) flight time to more than 48 hours. This increase in flight duration represents an improvement of 2,400 percent."
From: Laser Powers Lockheed Martin's Stalker UAS For 48 Hours  July 16, 2012
At: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Laser_Powers_Lockheed_Martins_Stalker_UAS_For_48_Hours_999.html

....

[savuporo]

Dupe from another thread but watch the UStream live testing in Hawaii going on from https://www.facebook.com/NASA.ISRU

[savuporo]

So i have been catching up with their twitter feed at @NASAspacemining .. is it just me or does that rover have entirely too much pneumatics on it for a lunar prototype ? : )

[synchrotron]

The rover is designed and being used for terrestrial analog missions. It has to fulfill the function and performance in Earth conditions. It is, and should only be, superficially like the system that does the same job on the Moon.
Ya need to learn exactly what to build by doing the terrestrial analog missions.  Then ya spec it and get it built for the right environment.

[savuporo]

Summary from the campaign :

http://moonandback.com/2012/07/30/roving-for-resources-on-an-analog-moon/

NASA’s next step with RESOLVE will be developing a flight-ready prototype and testing it under similar temperature, pressure, and radiation conditions expected on the lunar surface

[JohnFornaro]

Unfortunately, in today's news, Morpheus had a setback.

[A_M_Swallow]

Unfortunately, in today's news, Morpheus had a setback.

They have 3-4 years to sort Morpheus out.  If they keep at it the lander should be reliable by then.

[HappyMartian]

Is RESOLVE still moving forward? 

[HappyMartian]

Note: 

"On February 7, 2013 the Project Morpheus team blogged that they have built the Morpheus 1.5B and 1.5C vehicles. The vehicles are due to undergo a series of static hot fire and dynamic tethered flight tests at Johnson Space Center spring 2013 in preparation for a return to free-flight testing at Kennedy Space Center in the summer.[4]"

And, "On May 1, 2013 the replacement Morpheus #1.5 Unit B testbed was Hot Fired at the Johnson Space Center."

From: Project Morpheus    Wikipedia
At: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Morpheus

[HappyMartian]

"The Artemis Jr Rover was successfully field tested with the NASA’s Regolith and Environment Science & Oxygen and Lunar Volatiles Extraction (RESOLVE) payload in July of 2012 atat an analog test site on the slopes of Mauna Kea in Hawaii."

And, "It is the current plan that Artemis JR will fly to the lunar surface in 2017."

From: Artemis Jr Rover
At: http://www.neptec.com/technology/space/artemis.php


Has anyone recently mentioned the 2017 launch date?

[Warren Platts]

Is RESOLVE still moving forward? 

I was just at the PTMSS meeting and saw a number of presentations from various teams working on aspects of the RESOLVE rover. Looks like its going ahead on schedule for a tentative 2017 launch.

[HappyMartian]

Is RESOLVE still moving forward? 

I was just at the PTMSS meeting and saw a number of presentations from various teams working on aspects of the RESOLVE rover. Looks like its going ahead on schedule for a tentative 2017 launch.

That is good news! Thank you Warren!