NASA completes tests of 3 lunar probes that will be sent to Moon together with Nova-C module

NASA has completed testing three small lunar mapping rovers and is preparing to send them to Intuitive Machines, where they will be loaded into the Nova-C lander and sent to the Moon with other payloads later this year or early next year.

The three small rovers are equipped with stereo cameras and georadars capable of probing depths of up to 10 meters. The module will lower them to the Moon in an area called Rainer Gamma. This area appears to have magnetic anomalies, and data from the georadars may help clarify the situation. However, the main goal of the experiment will be the collaborative work of the rovers in exploring and mapping the assigned territory.

Each rover will be able to study about 400 square meters of lunar surface. A camera from a height of 4 meters above the landing module will monitor them (hopefully, the module will land vertically this time, not like last time). The rovers will assist each other in choosing routes to circumvent or overcome obstacles. They will themselves determine the lead vehicle and coordinate their actions with it. The hardware and software components of the mission have been tested at NASA's "Martian" test site, where all Mars rovers were tested, as well as in NASA's clean room - at the final stage.

Before this, all three miniature platforms were tested on a shake table to assess the platform's stability during rocket launch accelerations, as well as in a thermal vacuum chamber, where vacuum conditions and lunar conditions were simulated. In particular, the rovers were tested for their ability to withstand sharp temperature changes when transitioning from light to shadow, when the temperature can change by hundreds of degrees Celsius in seconds. However, they are not designed for lunar night. The rovers will operate for 14 Earth days - one lunar day - and they seemingly won't survive the lunar night.