Spanish company GMV has completed the final test campaign of its European Moon Rover System concept.
The European Moon Rover System (EMRS) initiative is part of the European Space Agency’s European Exploration Envelope Programme (E3P). The goal of the EMRS initiative was to build and test full-scale functional prototypes of a multi-use robotic mobility system that would be used in conjunction with the agency’s Argonaut lunar lander. In late 2021, ESA awarded EMRS Pre-Phase A contracts to a GMV-led consortium and Thales Alenia Space.
While the system will be applicable to a wide range of applications, the teams worked toward four specific applications based on proposed ESA missions. The four missions covered polar exploration, in-situ resource utilization, the construction of a lunar astrophysics observatory, and a lunar geological survey.
GMV initially began testing its rover concept at the German space agency DLR’s facilities in Munich, using a regolith-simulated testbed to validate its design. The company then moved testing to its own facility in Madrid, where the rover’s various locomotion modes were put through their paces. During this testing, it proved capable of climbing slopes greater than 25 degrees.
In addition to the rover’s locomotion, a pair of egress concepts were also tested at the GMV facility. According to Cristina Luna, the company’s planetary robotics project manager, GMV proved that it could deploy its rover to the surface of the Moon on uneven terrain, handling slopes up to 20 degrees.
What’s next for EMRS?
Thales Alenia Space announced in May that it had completed work on its pre-phase A EMRS contact. Now, with the conclusion of the GMV contract, ESA can move forward with the development of a rover to explore the lunar surface.
The first Argonaut mission to the Moon is expected to be launched by 2031. According to ESA director of human and robotic exploration, Daniel Neuenschwander, the agency expects to select an engine for Argonaut and award the contract for the Lander Descent Element before the end of 2024.
There has been no confirmation on the specifics of the first Argonaut mission, including whether or not it will include a rover. However, a recently published ESA call may hint at a potential EMRS follow-on programme and the first rover to be carried to the lunar surface aboard the lunar lander.
The Phase 1 development call announces ESA’s intention to develop a “Lunar Prospecting and Scouting Rover.” According to the call, the project would be focused on preparing all necessary information for a proposal that could be presented at the agency’s ministerial council meeting in late 2025 for possible continuation.
