NASA tests new Moon equipment on Earth

William Atkins
Sunday, 15 June 2008 20:30

Science - Space

In preparation for its new Constellation project to send astronauts back to the Moon, NASA tested lunar equipment at moon-like Moses Lake, Washington, U.S.A., Earth.

Sand storms and a large range of temperature conditions on sand dunes near Moses Lake, Washington, helped NASA learn how its new lunar robots, machinery, and spacesuits will work for missions to the Moon beginning in the next decade.

NASA scientist Brian Willox, of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said, "It's as close as we can get in a terrestrial environment to the lunar environment. “

Wilcox is the principal investigator for ATHLETE, short for All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer robot. [NASA: “NASA Tests Lunar Robots and Spacesuits on Earthly Moonscape”]

The two ATHLETE rovers tested at the Moses Lake site will be used to move cargo on the Moon. Each rover has six legs that can roll or walk over rough and/or steep terrain to that robotic or human missions to the Moon can load, transport, manipulate, and deposit payloads on the lunar surface.

The tests—held over the dates June 2 to 13, 2008—were conducted by several NASA centers (Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, Ames Research Center, Glenn Research Center, and others) and U.S. universities (Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, and others).

NASA test director Bill Bluethmann, from the Johnson Space Center (Houston, Texas), stated, "The goal was to gain hands-on experience with specific technical challenges anticipated when humans return to the moon by 2020, begin to explore the lunar surface, and set up outposts.” [NASA]

NASA’s Human Robotic Systems Project tested a wide range of devices, equipment, and other systems such as communications, command, and control systems, cranes, cargo carriers, rovers, and scout robots.

For more information on the series of equipment tested at Moses Lake, please turn the page.