Australia to build an astromobile for future NASA mission to the Moon

Australia build an astromobile for a mission of the NASA to Luna scheduled for 2026, the first time that the oceanic country collaborates in a project of this type, reported this Wednesday the Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison.

The semi-autonomous spacecraft will collect samples of the lunar soil containing oxides, while the NASA will try, with an independent team, to extract oxygen from the surface of this satellite of the Earth.

These works are part of an aerospace project of the NASA which intends to establish human colonies on the Moon in the future and that will serve to support the next missions to Mars.

“This is an incredible opportunity for Australia to succeed in the global space industry,” Morrison remarked, adding that his Government seeks by 2030 to triple the space sector so that it injects more than 8,800 million dollars (7,626 million euros) into the economy of his country.

The future rover will be developed by companies and researchers from Australia and will have some 37 million dollars (32 million euros) of government funding, according to a statement from the Australian Prime Minister’s office.

The construction of the astromobile is under an agreement recently signed between Australia and NASA, within the framework of the program Artemis from the US space agency.

The agreement for the manufacture of this device is supported by the initiative of the Australian government Moon to Mars, which was announced in 2019 at the headquarters of the NASA and that has funds of 110 million dollars (95 million euros).

Source: EFE