First Canadian Lunar Rover to Set Wheels on The Moon in Development
The government of Canada has awarded a contract to Canadensys Aerospace for the design and manufacture of the first Canadian lunar rover. Initiated under the Canadian Space Agency’s Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP), the lunar rover will demonstrate key technologies for future lunar activity and accomplish meaningful lunar science. The mission has scientific objectives in the areas of geology, shadowed regions & volatiles, and astronaut health & life sciences. This contract covers Phases B, C and D1 of the mission.
"Designing a rover that can withstand the harsh lunar environment is extremely complex, but today is proof that Canada's space industry thrives on challenges and is ready to exceed expectations."
The Honorable François-Philippe Champagne, Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
The 30-kg (≈66 pound) lunar rover will be sent to the Moon’s south pole region as early as 2026. The Canadian rover will be carrying six science payloads from Canada and the US. It will perform meaningful science and demonstrate key technologies that will lay an important foundation for subsequent Canadian lunar exploration. With this contract, Canadensys will continue to innovate in areas of technological strengths for Canada, like robotics, advanced vision systems and science instruments. For the first time in history, a Canadian rover will be sent to the Moon and will help in the international search for water ice in the lunar soil.
Canadensys Aerospace is leading a broad team of partners, including NASA Ames Research Center, NGC Aerospace, Maya Heat Transfer Technologies, Nokia, Bubble Technology Industries, Waves in Space, Simon Fraser University, Western University, the University of Winnipeg, l’Université de Sherbrooke, Leap Biosystems, Surrey Satellite Technology, and RF Collins. The team’s scientific investigators are among the leading lunar researchers in Canada and the US and are affiliated with the core team organizations as well as Arizona State University, Planetary Science Institute, and University of Alberta.
"Canadensys and our team members have been hard at work for the past decade, developing many of the key component technologies for lunar rovers," said Christian Sallaberger, President and CEO at Canadensys. "This contract is a testament to that hard work, and we are humbled to have been given this remarkable opportunity to lead such a renowned international team to the Moon.”
Canadian Lunar Rover Built for Harsh Lunar Environment
The Canadian rover will have the ability to drive and operate through lunar polar regions that never receive direct sunlight. It is designed to survive the long lunar nights, during which the temperature can drop to less than ‑200 °C.
"Designing a rover that can withstand the harsh lunar environment is extremely complex, but today is proof that Canada's space industry thrives on challenges and is ready to exceed expectations," said the Honorable François-Philippe Champagne, Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. "This would not have been possible without Canadian ambition, skills and our talented workers. With this exciting mission ahead, Canadensys and its partners are strengthening Canada's reputation as a world leader in the space industry."
(Source: Canadensys Aerospace and CSA news releases. Images provided and from file)