Australian Space Agency selects ELO2 consortium to build lunar rover

The Australian Space Agency has selected the ELO₂ consortium, led by Brisbane-based autonomy expert EPE, to build Australia’s first lunar rover in a $42 million program. NASA has contracted the Australian Space Agency to develop and deliver an Australian-made, semi-autonomous lunar rover to support its Artemis lunar exploration program.

The so-called ‘Roo-ver’ has been selected after some 18 months of design work by two competing consortia, the successful ELO₂ consortium and the AROSE consortium. One of the most advanced robotics projects in Australia, the semi-autonomous ‘Roo-ver’ is designed to collect lunar rock and soil samples and will be delivered to the moon on one of the Artemis missions. NASA’s eventual goal is to use the Moon as a jumping-off point for a crewed mission to the planet Mars.

Following the successful uncrewed test of an Artemis capsule in 2022, there will be a series of manned follow-on Artemis missions from 2026 culminating in a lunar landing near the moon’s south pole that is scheduled for 2027. NASA and the Australian Space Agency are working together to finalise plans, with the lunar rover on track for a launch some time later this decade. At this stage it looks likely that the Roo-ver will be delivered to the moon using a launcher from NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS).

Under the CLPS initiative NASA is currently working with several American companies to deliver science and technology payloads to the lunar surface. These companies bid on delivering payloads for NASA and include everything from payload integration and operations, to launching from Earth and landing on the surface of the Moon. Under Project Artemis, commercial deliveries will perform science experiments, test technologies, and demonstrate capabilities to help NASA explore the Moon as it prepares for human missions. CLPS contracts have a cumulative maximum contract value of US$2.6 billion ($4.17 billion) through 2028.

A demonstration in early 2024 proved the Roo-ver’s capabilities when it successfully negotiated challenging terrain in Australia while being operated remotely from the USA using consortium member Lunar Outpost’s Stargate mission operation software.

“This mission is … leveraging and building on our know-how in robotics, automation and advanced engineering to build Australia’s manufacturing future,” said Ed Husic, Minister for Industry and Science. “The team behind Roo-ver are creating capability and technologies that land back down to Earth and advance many of the industries we rely on.”

Project Artemis has spawned the Australian Space Agency’s Moon to Mars initiative, a $150 million investment over five years to drive growth in the Australian space sector.

“This project is as much about the journey as the destination,” according to Enrico Palermo, Head of the Australian Space Agency. “Australia is gaining valuable knowledge and technical skill just from developing Roo-ver, creating opportunity to become an even bigger part of the global space sector.

“Establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon is a major focus of the international space community over the coming decades, and this mission centres Australia in that foundational work, while advancing our national robotics ecosystem to improve life here on Earth.”

The ELO₂ consortium is made up of 21 organisations, including Australian space start-ups and SMEs, major resources companies, universities, and other research partners.