Could Australia become a key player in the space race to the Moon?

Written By Josh Keegan

Image credit: Pixabay

NASA thinks so - that's why it just awarded Aussie space companies $8 million to design and build a lunar rover for its 2026 Moon mission. 🚀

This is a huge opportunity for Australia's space industry.

  • Australia has been awarded $8 million by NASA to design and build a lunar rover for NASA's 2026 Moon mission. This highlights Australia's expertise in remote operations and automation technology. It's significant because it provides opportunities for Australia's space industry and STEM skills development.

  • Two consortia (AROSE and EPE & Lunar Outpost Oceania) are competing to design and build the rover prototype by 2024. This spurs innovation and technology development in Australia's space sector.

  • The rover will collect lunar soil and deliver it to a NASA payload that will attempt to extract oxygen. This aligns with NASA's goals of establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon and future Mars missions.

  • The consortia bring together a diverse mix of space companies, universities, research institutions and resource companies. This cross-industry collaboration will lead to knowledge transfer and retention of key skills in Australia.

  • Developing the rover locally fosters Australia's space industry capabilities and has the potential to create high-tech jobs. It positions Australia as an innovative space nation.

In summary, Australia leading the design of a key component for NASA's lunar mission is a huge opportunity. It will boost local space tech innovation, skills and jobs. The blog highlights how strategic government investment in space aligns with broader national priorities like automation and advanced manufacturing. There is significant potential for Australia to become a dynamic space industry player through programs like this.

Original article: https://www.crn.com.au/news/two-consortia-to-build-aussie-designed-lunar-rover-592334

Josh Keegan

Josh Keegan is the Owner/Director of Keegan Consulting Group working with highly skilled industry professionals to drive benefits realisation for all organisations within any project. Keegan Consulting Group has provided a broad range consulting services, drawing on individual skills and abilities to drive focused outcomes. We believe the fundamental underlying basics are the same just the overarching rules and legislative requirements governing each industry differ. As experts in managing complexity, our consultants have delivered a number of projects all within heavily regulated environments. We are able to easily handle, understand and successfully communicate and interpret local, state and national Australian government legislation to our clients. We like to give each client the option of letting us go at any stage. When this happens, we share our knowledge offering the option to train staff giving them the skills allowing each client to venture down the road of “doing it for themselves”.

http://www.keeganconsultinggroup.com
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