Readying lunar outpost

Small robots could prepare lunar surface for NASA.

Astrobotic Technology and Carnegie Mellon researchers in the US have developed the design of a small lunar robot that could prepare space on the Moon for a NASA outpost.

According to a NASA-sponsored study prepared by Astrobotic Technology Inc., small robots the size of riding mowers could prepare a safe landing site for NASA’s Moon outpost.

The researchers showed how small robots could comb the lunar soil for rocks, gathering them to pave a durable grit-free landing pad, said John Kohut, Astrobotic’s chief executive officer. “This might reduce the need to build protective berms [around the landing pad]. To discern the best approach, early robotic scouting missions need to gather on-site information about the soil’s cohesion levels and whether rocks and gravel of the right size can be found at the site.”

The research examined two potential solutions: construction of a berm around the landing site, and the creation of a hard-surface landing pad using indigenous materials.

The results were presented 27 February in Washington, DC, at a NASA Lunar Surface Systems conference

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