Latest news with #LunarOutpost
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
CU students build virtual-reality moon-exploring robot
DENVER (KDVR) — Students at the University of Colorado Boulder are preparing to explore the moon from the comfort of an earthbound room, after designing a robot that can take them to the moon's surface via virtual reality. The student-built robot could help shape the future of lunar exploration — even though it currently lives in a quiet, carpeted office, the university said in a press release. What to expect for severe storms rolling through Colorado on Wednesday In its current state, the robot nicknamed 'Armstrong' is a three-wheeled robot that uses a mechanical arm to pick up and move plastic rocks. An exercise that could potentially develop into a system where robots are controlled on the moon by the use of a 'digital twin,' which is a hyper-realistic virtual reality environment. 'That's what is really exciting about this—you're able to simulate everything in the environment, from the shadows to the texture of the dirt, and then train operators on conditions that are as close to real as possible,' said Xavier O'Keefe, a master's student in aerospace engineering sciences. 'That way, once you get to the moon, you have a higher chance of success.' O'Keefe has been working on the project since he was studying as an undergraduate student at the university. The robot study was funded by NASA and a Colorado-based company called Lunar Outpost. The project is led by CU astrophysics professor emeritus and the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy's Jack Burns. Burns is part of a team that received a grant from NASA to design FarView, which is a proposed moon observatory, covering 77 square miles and requiring robots to install thousands of antennas, according to the university. As part of the new study, students replicated their lab environment in a video game engine and gauged the performance of people controlling robots who had been trained in VR versus those who hadn't. The study concluded that students who had trained with the digital twin were able to complete tasks 30% faster and were less stressed while doing so. To take one more step towards complete function, the team will begin research on how dust may affect the robots by creating a simulation of the moon's surface. O'Keefe said it is a small step, but one that's bringing humanity closer to walking and rolling on the moon again. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA's new toys for upcoming Artemis mission to map moon's subsurface, lunar minerals
NASA has officially chosen three new scientific instruments to study the moon, specifically its south polar region, as part of the upcoming Artemis mission. Two of these instruments will be mounted on a new Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), and one will fly on a future moon-orbiting satellite. The LTV, or rover, is believed to resemble a high-tech sports utility vehicle (SUV). It will carry two astronauts across the lunar surface, but it can also drive itself remotely when no one is aboard. This mission will mark the first time a rover has been on the moon in over 50 years. Three private companies are building rover designs, including Texas-based Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost from Colorado, and California-headquartered Venturi Astrolab. NASA will choose one for a demonstration mission by late 2025. NASA's Artemis program aims to send humans back to the moon for the first time since the Apollo missions. As for the instruments in question, the first is called the Artemis Infrared Reflectance and Emission Spectrometer (AIRES). This will be mounted directly on the LTV and will be used to detect minerals and volatiles (like water or carbon dioxide) by analyzing how sunlight reflects off the moon's surface. According to NASA, AIRES will also create detailed maps showing what materials are present, especially around the satellite's south pole. The second instrument, Lunar Microwave Active-Passive Spectrometer (L-MAPS), will also be mounted on the rover. This will use ground-penetrating radar and temperature sensors to scan up to 40 meters underground. It will help locate buried ice and gain a deeper understanding of the moon's subsurface structure. The third and final piece of kit, Ultra-Compact Imaging Spectrometer for the Moon (UCIS-Moon), will be mounted on a future moon-orbiting satellite, not on the rover. This device will capture high-resolution images and scans of surface water, minerals, and assess how human activity (such as landings) may be affecting the moon. It will also help guide astronauts to areas rich in resources or scientific value. Together, these instruments will help map resources for future missions. They will also support astronaut safety and planning by understanding the terrain and environment. The tools will further help contribute to science by revealing how the moon evolved and what it tells us about other rocky planets. Overall, the move marks a critical step in NASA's effort to build infrastructure on and around the moon to support long-term exploration. The development is part of a broader effort to return humans to the moon, explore more deeply than ever before, and eventually prepare for missions to mars. "The Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle will transport humanity farther than ever before across the lunar frontier on an epic journey of scientific exploration and discovery," said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "By combining the best of human and robotic exploration, the science instruments selected for the LTV will make discoveries that inform us about Earth's nearest neighbor as well as benefit the health and safety of our astronauts and spacecraft on the Moon," he added. "Together, these three scientific instruments will make significant progress in answering key questions about what minerals and volatiles are present on and under the surface of the Moon," said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. "With these instruments riding on the LTV and in orbit, we will be able to characterize the surface not only where astronauts explore, but also across the south polar region of the Moon, offering exciting opportunities for scientific discovery and exploration for years to come," Kearns stated.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Michelin's Space-Spec Wheels Can Conquer Moon Craters in Extreme Temps
Michelin has developed what looks like a tire but is actually a wheel that's capable of surviving the moon's harsh environment. The wild-looking wheels, which can withstand extreme temperatures and conquer craters, will be used on a lunar rover. We spoke with Michelin's Cyrille Roget, who detailed the development process of the brand's unusual moon-spec wheels. Picture a moon rover. You might imagine the very first one launched in 1971. Or maybe the one Matt Damon's character piloted in The Martian. But America's newest space vehicle is probably going to look much different. That includes the tires, which Cyrille Roget, Michelin's scientific and innovation communication director, says isn't a tire anymore—it's a wheel. It's round, but there is no air pressure, and it's made entirely of thermoplastic. The demand is rigorous. The rover will reside on Earth's moon for a decade, exploring remote areas and taking samples on manned and unmanned missions. Each wheel had to be tested in extreme environments to ensure it could tough it out in temperatures above 212 degrees Fahrenheit and below -400 degrees Fahrenheit, stay intact even in the path of solar and galactic radiation, and maintain traction on very loose soil. The moon, in other words, is not a friendly place. A moon rover's wheels must be equally fierce. Why bother with a project that has a high cool factor but is also extremely expensive? Michelin believes that its work will lead to technical and scientific advances that could lead to creative tire and wheel ideas here on Earth. Last year, NASA announced it had selected three finalists to design the newest lunar rover: Lunar Outpost, Venturi Astrolab, and Intuitive Machines. The latter, a Houston, Texas-based aerospace company, picked Michelin, AVL, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman Corporation as its dance partners, and NASA ponied up $30 million for the team to complete a Lunar Terrain Vehicle services feasibility assessment. In simpler terms, it's a show-and-tell report. As Roget and his team considered how they would contribute to the rolling power of the lunar terrain vehicle, they considered what they already knew about tires. 'Of course, the first thing we thought about was rubber, because we have 130 years of experience with rubber,' Roget says. 'But the problem on the lunar surface is that we need something that is strong and robust, because there is a lot of abrasion.' Factoring in the radiation, abrasion, and abrupt temperature changes between the bottom of the crater and the surface of the moon, rubber wasn't going to cut it. (Michiganders, in particular, will get this.) Michelin already knew from years of practice that rubber turns into a hard surface at -240 degrees. Instead, the company created a wheel composed of flexible thermoplastic S-shaped 'spokes' that connect the wheel to the outside 'tread' that makes contact with the soil. The rovers cannot carry a spare wheel, either, so the original set has to be darn near perfect. That's where the spokes come in; even if one little spoke breaks, the wheel will still continue to function. It's not a catastrophic failure, as it might be if a tire is punctured. The mission won't be lost even if the wheels lose a few spokes. The wheels are very soft and very flexible, Roget explains. They have to lose as little energy as possible while moving on the surface. In the laboratory, Roget says, they developed a means of testing thermoplastic at extreme temperatures to see if it's still flexible. Gravity is also a factor, as the moon's gravity is one-sixth of what it is on Earth. The rover has to climb out of sandy craters with inclines of 20 degrees or more, so the contact patch for the space-spec wheels has to be as large as possible. 'A lot of people just focus on the fact that [the product] is going to the moon,' Roget says. 'For us, it's always about learning something.' If you think about it, Roget points out, a tire is a composite, an assembly of materials that are not supposed to work together. Metal wheels, for instance, are rigid, and they're wrapped in soft rubber. When you combine these elements together, it creates something that works for millions of cycles. That's exactly what Michelin scientists want to learn on the lunar project: how wheels work in the harshest conditions they can find. The moon will be its own kind of laboratory for Michelin to test its theories of what is possible for its unusual wheels to achieve. 'We have a team of people that are very motivated and very passionate about what they're doing, because it's not every day that you work on a project that will go to the moon,' Roget says. 'We're also exploring solutions that we are developing for a lunar application, but also that we think could find a way to solutions that will be on Earth.' You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
Forbes
25-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Juventus Goes To The Moon And Launches New Capsule Collection
Juventus has conquered Italy 36 times, been club champion of Europe and the world twice, and is now expanding its footprint to space. Earlier this season, the Old Lady became the first soccer club to participate in a lunar mission. Juve partnered with Colorado space robotics firm Lunar Outpost, on its Lunar Voyage 1 mission. To celebrate its hand in space exploration, the club is dropping a new limited-edition Moon Capsule Collection alongside Adidas and Lunar Outpost. On the field, Juventus is failing to live up to its exceedingly high standards. Igor Tudor's team is fifth in Serie A, one point outside the UEFA Champions League places with five games to go. Juventus will need to win its last five matches and hope for one of its opponents to drop points to salvage its season. However, according to Gianmarco Pino, Head of Brand at Juventus, if the club has learned anything from its space collaboration, it is that it should be bold and attempt the impossible. So, fans can expect Juve to push hard for the final European position and to continue innovating off the field. Juventus's entrepreneurial spirit has been the foundation of the club's youthful mentality and success throughout its 127-year history. As Juve evolves from soccer club into sporting entity and lifestyle brand, it aims to enhance its commitment to innovation and excellence on and off the pitch. With that in mind, the club continues to come up with novel ways to appeal to new fans and link Juventus to like-minded organizations. This season has been all about outer space. Together with Adidas, Juventus has launched several rounds of NASA and space-inspired merchandise. Pino said initial fan feedback was 'really good,' so the club continued down that road. The partnership with Lunar Outpost was a natural evolution from Juve's space-themed social media and merchandise campaign. Speaking about the collaboration, Mike Armstrong, Chief Marketing Officer at Juventus, said, 'Juventus has always been driven by a spirit of innovation and discovery, and our partnership with Lunar Outpost extends that vision. As the first football club to be part of a lunar mission, we are proud to support the continued exploration of space. This is a testament to our relentless pursuit to break new grounds in the world of sport.' To celebrate the partnership, Juventus is dropping its latest space capsule collection. The collection had a soft launch in late March, with first team players Randal Kolo Muani, Samuel Mbangula, Alisha Lehman, and American Tim Weah participating in a space-themed photo shoot. According to Pino, the merchandise has sold well so far without much social media push. The capsule collection is comprised of four items: a white track top, a short-sleeved and long-sleeved pre-match jersey, and an orange track top. At first glance, the white track top looks like a standard issue track top. It uses classic Juventus colors—white and black—and has the Juve and Adidas logos. On the back, however, there is an arrow-shaped patch inside of which there is a space shuttle ascending to the Moon. The jacket also has the club motto Fino Alla Fine printed on it to demonstrate the club's constant pursuit of excellence. The orange track top's design is similar to the white version. It has the same arrow-shaped patch on the back and includes a shoulder lunar mission badge that shows the Lunar Outpost Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover on the Moon. The orange body and blue sleeves are supposed to resemble a modern space suit. The pre-match jersey, which comes in both short and long sleeves, has a black body and a lunar-eclipse polkadot-esque pattern. The Lunar Outpost logo is displayed in place of a normal shirt sponsor. The pre-match top also has both the shoulder and back space-themed badges. The official launch of the capsule takes place this weekend, April 24-26, alongside Juventus Football Club's home match against Monza FC. The club will do a stadium takeover at the Allianz Stadium, converting it into a space-themed arena complete with activations for fans. In the words of Pino, the stadium takeover will show, 'we landed on the moon and now we are traveling back to Earth to land in the stadium.' The Lunar Voyage 1 mission launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on February 26, 2025. It did 38 orbits around the Moon before landing on the South Pole on March 6. The mission's bold objectives were to land on and explore the Moon's relatively hostile Southern Pole during and after the lunar eclipse. Following that, the team would gather space materials for sale on return to Earth using its MAPP rover. Unfortunately, after orbiting the Moon nearly forty times, the lander didn't land properly, so no space materials were obtained. Still, the rover communicated with the Lunar Outpost scientists for several days, allowing them to gain valuable data that will help pave the way for future sustainable space exploration. While the connection between soccer and space exploration may seem unclear, Gianmarco Pino says, 'they share common objectives, such as breaking boundaries and looking forward.' From Juve's perspective, the collaboration allows the club to show its continued desire to innovate. The lunar mission also aligned with Juventus's ESG strategy, as it seeks to further eco-friendly space exploration. Lunar Outpost Founder and CEO Justin Cyrus said, 'Partnering with Juventus allows us to engage new audiences in the excitement of space travel. Together, we are inspiring curiosity about what's possible beyond Earth, while also exploring sustainable solutions that could benefit life on our planet.' Pino added that the two entities are in talks about how they can continue collaborating in the near future. Lunar Outpost is planning a second and third Lunar Voyage, and Juventus is keen to lend its expertise and brand to them where appropriate. Perhaps there are more otherworldly endeavors in Juventus's future.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Lunar Outpost unveils sleek new 'Eagle' moon rover (photos)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Eagle has landed. Colorado-based Lunar Outpost just unveiled its new "Eagle" moon rover at the Space Foundation's 40th annual Space Symposium here, and it looks straight out of science fiction. Sporting a sleek metallic finish and ice-blue LED lighting, the Eagle rover turned quite a few heads on the expo floor this year. But Eagle boasts more than just futuristic looks. The rover is packed with features designed with the next generation of Artemis program moon explorers in mind and is based on feedback from current NASA astronauts at NASA's Johnson Space Center, according to Lunar Outpost's A.J Gerner. "We've developed all of our crew and human interfaces through a lot of testing with NASA Johnson, we've had eight astronauts, even in full pressurized suits, evaluate the design, and their feedback is throughout the vehicle," Gerner told One of the features astronauts particularly enjoyed during testing is the wide, easily accessible front entry area, which is maneuverable even in a bulky spacesuit. In the configuration shown here at the symposium, the Eagle vehicle features two seats for crew, each with its own redundant and mirrored controls, meaning either astronaut can control the rover. The steering controls on each side consist of a single handle that controls four individual motors that drive each wheel. Each wheel can turn independently of the other three, allowing the Eagle rover to turn on its center axis or "crab walk" sideways, Gerner said. Related: Private mini rover aboard sideways Athena moon lander was ready to roll — but it couldn't get out In addition to the hand controller, each seat in the Eagle rover has a multifunction display at eye level for each of the astronauts riding on board. These displays will fuse feeds from onboard cameras and Lunar Outpost's "Eagle eye" sensors that can see things astronauts' eyes cant, which will come in handy if the vehicle is ever sent to explore regions near the moon's south pole that contain permanently shadowed regions or deep craters where water ice might be hiding. "The idea is to extend the crew's perception," Gerner said, "and the displays put all that information right at their fingertips." To help astronauts conduct science and exploration on the lunar surface, Eagle also features tool lockers and refrigerated sample containers to help bring home samples of the moon safely. Each tool locker features a shelf that can raise up to astronauts' chest height, making it easy for them to reach what they need even in a bulky spacesuit. Additional tool racks and storage can be added to the racks along the sides of the rear of the vehicle. Related stories: — NASA picks 3 companies to design lunar rover for Artemis astronauts to drive on the moon — SpaceX's Starship will fly Lunar Outpost's rover to the moon — The moon: Everything you need to know about Earth's companion But Eagle wasn't just built with astronauts in mind. Gerner said the vehicle can be operated autonomously or by controllers on Earth, allowing it to explore the lunar surface even if astronauts aren't on the moon with it. Lunar Outpost hopes to have Eagle on the moon by the end of the decade to support NASA's planned Artemis 5 mission. But the rover is currently in the running alongside two others, designed by Intuitive Machines and Venturi Astrolab, in NASA's quest to find its next "lunar terrain vehicle." The total potential value of the lunar terrain vehicle services contract is $4.6 billion.
