A decade-old NASA moon rover is undergoing pressurized ground operations. If this lunar vehicle is that old, why does the space agency makes such efforts?
(Photo : Photo by OLIVIER TOURON/AFP via Getty Images)
NASAs Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS) team members practice with a Moon rover prototype for future Artemis missions at the Black Point Lava Flow near Flagstaff, Arizona, on October 24, 2022. (Photo by Olivier Touron / AFP)
The moon rover is specifically the so-called Desert RATS (Research and Technology Studies), developed more than a decade ago.
Now, the international aerospace organization has been conducting pressurized ground tests to improve the rover's technology.
Decade-Old NASA Moon Rover Undergoes Pressurized Ground Tests
According to Fox Business' latest report, NASA and its partners, such as the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), are working with the United States Geological Survey.
(Photo : Photo by OLIVIER TOURON/AFP via Getty Images)
NASAs Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS) team members practice with a Moon rover prototype for future Artemis missions at the Black Point Lava Flow near Flagstaff, Arizona, on October 24, 2022. (Photo by Olivier Touron / AFP)
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NASA researchers explained that the pressurized ground operations involving the Desert RATS rover are key elements of future Artemis missions.
"We're starting by testing here on Earth, then moving on to testing on the moon, and then using the moon as a stepping stone to Mars," said Barbara Janoiko, the mission manager of Desert RATS.
During their ground tests, NASA and JAXA gather critical data about the pressurized rover's design, as well as driving modes, timeline constraints, cabin configuration, and mission operations.
They collect these details to support potential design concepts for next-gen pressurized lunar vehicles.
Location and Other Details
The official NASA Gov report stated that pressurized ground activities are being conducted in Arizona.
The international space agency said that the Desert RATS is specifically in the high-desert terrain of Black Point Lava Flow.
Desert RATS crew members stayed and worked in the lunar rover during the ground operations.
This means they already slept inside the prototype, were driven across challenging terrain, and conducted other essential studies, such as surface mapping, communication systems, and navigation techniques.
If you want to learn more about the Desert RATS rover, you can visit this link.
In other news, the NASA Lucy mission was recently mistaken for the closes asteroid flyby of 2022.
Meanwhile, the NASA James Webb Space Telescope discovered some galaxies merging around a monster black hole.
For more news updates about NASA Desert RATS rover and other lunar vehicles, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
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Written by: Griffin Davis
