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Introduction
The quest for sustainable lunar exploration and development has been hindered by the lack of reliable and constant power sources on the Moon. The recent advancement in the development of lunar surface rovers has marked a significant breakthrough in this regard. Among the several innovative solutions proposed to overcome this challenge, Astrobotic’s Vertical Solar Array for Lunar Traverse (VOLT) rover is noteworthy for its promising capabilities. The rover has undergone rigorous testing at NASA’s Glenn Research Center’s Simulated Lunar Operations Laboratory, demonstrating its stability and capability to traverse extreme slopes.
Astrobotic’s VOLT rover passes key Lunar surface tests
Astrobotic’s VOLT rover passes key Lunar surface tests
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 17, 2024
Astrobotic has taken a crucial step towards creating a lunar power grid by launching a summer-long test campaign for its VOLT rover. The rover features a vertical solar array designed to harness solar energy and charge various lunar assets such as habitats, rovers, and scientific instruments. Specifically, the rover is designed for use at the lunar south pole, where continuous power generation is essential.
The VOLT engineering model underwent rigorous testing at NASA’s Glenn Research Center’s Simulated Lunar Operations Laboratory (SLOPE) in Cleveland. These tests assessed the rover’s stability, gimbal functionality, and sun tracking on a simulated lunar regolith slope.
The results showed that the rover exceeded expectations, maintaining stability on a 20-degree slope without slippage, whereas its design allows for operation on a 15-degree incline.
The gimbal of VOLT kept a level position within a 3-degree tolerance, indicating its capability to support the 60-foot vertical solar array scheduled for integration later this year.
“To supply continuous power at the poles of the Moon, we need to take advantage of existing peaks of persistent light: locations with near constant sunlight throughout the year. Since most of these locations are at crater rims with high slope angles, we designed VOLT to deploy on extreme slopes. These tests proved that our system can operate successfully, with plenty of margin for more extreme locations,” said Robert Rolley, Astrobotic’s Principal Investigator for VOLT.
Conclusion
Astrobotic’s VOLT rover is an integral part of the company’s ambitious LunaGrid system, designed to deliver power to the Moon’s surface. With the success of these tests, the company is making rapid progress towards deploying the VOLT rovers on the Moon and generating sustainable power for lunar missions.
