NASA Proposes Sending Repurposed Mars Rover Twin to the Moon
NASA has unveiled a proposal to dispatch a repurposed terrestrial rover testbed to the lunar surface. Named PROMISE, the vehicle will be built from the engineering models of the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, potentially exploring permanently shadowed lunar regions regardless of illumination. The initiative aims to leverage existing taxpayer-funded hardware for future lunar exploration missions.
Key points
- NASA, the United States space agency, announced a proposal in late June to send a new rover named PROMISE to the moon.
- PROMISE stands for Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping and In-Situ Exploration.
- The lunar vehicle will be a repurposed version or hybrid of the Earth-based engineering test models for the Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rovers.
- Prior to the renaming, the Perseverance test model was known as the Operational Perseverance Twin for Integration of Mechanisms and Instruments Sent to Mars, or OPTIMISM.
- The initiative leverages existing taxpayer-funded hardware to explore lunar areas regardless of illumination.
NASA has announced a new proposal to repurpose an Earth-bound engineering testbed for use on the lunar surface. Revealed in late June, the proposed vehicle is called PROMISE, an acronym for Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping and In-Situ Exploration.
According to reports from outlets including Ars Technica and the BBC, the rover will be built using components from the terrestrial test models of NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers. While promotional material initially pointed to Perseverance's replica, the agency's official announcement describes the new vehicle as a hybrid combining features from the engineering versions of both Martian explorers.
The project aims to maximize the utility of existing hardware. Previously, the Perseverance test model operated under the designation OPTIMISM, standing for Operational Perseverance Twin for Integration of Mechanisms and Instruments Sent to Mars. Agency officials noted that years of operational experience with the Mars rovers, combined with significant taxpayer investment in these ground testbeds, motivated the decision to redirect the hardware toward lunar exploration.
Sources
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