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NASA develops a new type of solar lunar rover for polar water resources
NASA is developing a new type of solar-powered lunar rover to explore and analyze potential water ice deposits at the Moon’s south pole. This mission aims to investigate how liquid water could be produced directly on the Moon, which is crucial for future human exploration. The project, called "RESOLVE" (Resourcing the Environment and Science and Resource of Oxygen and Lunar Surface Volatiles), is set to launch in November 2017 and will take about a week to reach its destination.
Despite a tight budget of only $250 million—including launch costs—NASA plans to rely on solar power for the rover and its instruments. However, the polar regions receive sunlight for only short periods, making energy management a major challenge. William Larson, a retired NASA project manager, explained that while nuclear power would be more efficient in such conditions, the current funding doesn't allow for it. “Using solar energy is more cost-effective,†he said, “and that’s what we’ll do.â€
The rover will have limited time to operate during each lighting cycle. It will search for hydrogen atoms, then go into hibernation during shadow periods. After five days of sunlight, it will attempt to drill one meter into the lunar surface, collect samples, and analyze them for water and other volatile materials. The onboard equipment will also test methods to extract oxygen and hydrogen from lunar soil, which could eventually be used to produce water on-site.
Larson emphasized that this mission is the most complex and challenging lunar rover project in NASA’s history, with tight deadlines and limited resources. A backup plan is already in place in case no water is found. The RESOLVE mission follows previous efforts like the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the LCROSS impact mission in 2009, which detected traces of water in a lunar crater.
Scientists are still unsure of the origin of the water found in the Moon’s polar regions. Possible explanations include comet impacts or ancient volcanic activity. RESOLVE will help narrow down these theories by analyzing hydrogen isotopes in any water samples collected.
David Paige, a lunar scientist at UCLA, noted that the Moon’s poles are extremely cold, making them ideal for preserving volatile substances. “The question is whether these materials actually exist there,†he said.
NASA is collaborating with the Canadian Space Agency on this project and will conduct field simulations in Hawaii this summer to prepare for the real mission.