Australia Is Putting a Rover On the Moon In 2024 To Search For Water (theconversation.com) 30
Joshua Chou writes via The Conversation: Last month the Australian Space Agency announced plans to send an Australian-made rover to the Moon by as early as 2026, under a deal with NASA. The rover will collect lunar soil containing oxygen, which could eventually be used to support human life in space. Although the deal with NASA made headlines, a separate mission conducted by private companies in Australia and Canada, in conjunction with the University of Technology Sydney, may see Australian technology hunting water on the Moon as soon as mid-2024. If all goes according to plan, it will be the first rover with Australian-made components to make it to the Moon.
The ten-kilogram rover, measuring 60x60x50cm, will be launched on board the Hakuto lander made by ispace, a lunar robotic exploration company based in Japan. The rover itself, also built by ispace, will have an integrated robotic arm created by the private companies Stardust Technologies (based in Canada) and Australia's EXPLOR Space Technology (of which I am one of the founders). Using cameras and sensors, the arm will collect high-resolution visual and haptic data to be sent back to the mission control centre at the University of Technology Sydney. It will also collect information on the physical and chemical composition of lunar dust, soil and rocks -- specifically with a goal of finding water. We know water is present within the Moon's soil, but we have yet to find a way to extract it for practical use.
The ten-kilogram rover, measuring 60x60x50cm, will be launched on board the Hakuto lander made by ispace, a lunar robotic exploration company based in Japan. The rover itself, also built by ispace, will have an integrated robotic arm created by the private companies Stardust Technologies (based in Canada) and Australia's EXPLOR Space Technology (of which I am one of the founders). Using cameras and sensors, the arm will collect high-resolution visual and haptic data to be sent back to the mission control centre at the University of Technology Sydney. It will also collect information on the physical and chemical composition of lunar dust, soil and rocks -- specifically with a goal of finding water. We know water is present within the Moon's soil, but we have yet to find a way to extract it for practical use.
Probably still cheaper to dig a well (Score:3, Funny)
How much do they expect to bring back?
Re:Probably still cheaper to dig a well (Score:4, Funny)
Re: Probably still cheaper to dig a well (Score:3)
I would have agreed, except I saw a documentary called The Ten Deadliest Snakes In The World .. and they were all in Australia. So if I needed water in Australia, and given the choice of going to the moon or having to dig a well in my backyard where I might encounter the Eastern Brown, an Inland Taipan (deadliest venom in the world), or Mulga snake (which has the highest venom volume in the world), I think going to the moon is the only option.
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On the other hand, they don't have bears or mountain lions. In the USA, bears claim lives of campers and hikers pretty much every year. Mountain lions kill a human on average every other year. In terms of snakes, USA is probably even with Australia, because while not as deadly, rattlesnakes are plentiful and often claim lives (or limps) of weaker people if not treated promptly. The alligators in Florida are a common pest and they love dragging underwater joggers or dogs who accidentally get too close to wat
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And in America, at least is was a thing up to a few years ago, a few odd Evangelical Preachers would man-handle dangerous snake because some religious passage said true believers could and not get bitten. Several have died. He's a FUNNY G-d.
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Just drop a few cane toads in a crater, they'll find the water and the food and places to breed in Crikey, those things are tough to kill.
land rights and mining claim (Score:2)
land rights and mining claim
I knew Australia was dry... (Score:2)
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Australia did nothing of the sort. Australia's water mismanagement goes back a long way, and there were massive concerns about groundwater including both the height of the two main basins as well as their pressure long before fracking was a thing.
There have been fracking incidents that have released poisonous chemicals into the water, but thus far they have been a not at all metaphorical drop of piss in the ocean with no actual groundwater contamination in the basins themselves of note.
Will God please send a bolt of lightning to inflict a harsh punishment on our lying, cheating Prime Minister.
Because of groundwate
How else would we brew beer on the moon? (Score:2)
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I will bet you will still arrogantly outlaw superb lunar pub dwarf tossing "to protect the dignity of dwarves", by making them kneel to a big guy for permission. That says dignity like nothing else!
Australia is doing what? (Score:5, Insightful)
The only Australian involvement here seems to be an arm. America is doing the flying, a Japanese company doing the landing, a Japanese company is building the rover, and even that arm seems to be half Canadian.
The article seems a bit self serving.
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The arm is all you need to crack open a XXXX[*].
Awesome roveroonie mate.
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XXXX? Not sure what qualifies more as "drinking piss", that XXXX mid strength low carb yellow liquid, or the Vaginal Backwash they drink down south.
I actually thought we had decent beer until I moved to the Netherlands. Nothing but Belgian strong ales for me now.
How???? (Score:2)
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The will be battered down by the military police long before they could hope to reach the city limits.
That these people now concentrate on putting robots somewhere is a little ironic.
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Australia is doing everything via robots now (Score:2)
Since the common Australian is now confined to their homes, forever or at least for the foreseeable future, robot technology got a little boost.
Reason, Logic, Context : Whaaa? (Score:1)
"Last month the Australian Space Agency announced plans to send an Australian-made rover to the Moon by as early as 2026, under a deal with NASA.
" ...may see Australian technology hunting water on the Moon as soon as mid-2024..."
2026 then suddenly mid-2024. Who exactly is providing the Moon launch capability? I can think of two possibilities, neither of which is NASA.
Climate change must be bad in Australia (Score:2)
If they already are searching water on Mars ...
Eagle (Score:2)
Would be rather cool to see how everything is still doing up there.
Wovah on the Moon (Score:2)
should be hunting Wabbits, not Water.