The ELO2 Consortium, short for EPE and Lunar Outpost Oceania, is pioneering the development of designs for Australia’s first lunar rover.
As part of its mission in establishing infrastructure on the Moon, NASA signed an agreement with the Australian Space Agency to establish lunar operations.
The agreement, which is named the Trailblazer Mission, has the Australian Space Agency agreeing to aid an Australian consortium that will produce a semi-autonomous lunar rover for NASA’s Artemis Program.
This program aims to return humans to the Moon with the goal of establishing a sustainable presence and preparing for future missions to Mars.
One of the two Australian consortiums competing to manufacture said lunar rover is the ELO2 Consortium.
Manufacturers’ Monthly spoke to Joseph Kenrick, the program manager at Lunar Outpost Oceania, and the ELO2 Consortium technical director, to learn more about its efforts.
“For the Trailblazer mission, the Australian Space Agency acts as a liaison with NASA. Through the Space Act Agreement, they have partnered with NASA, which provides the rocket and the lander,” said Kenrick.
“In turn, the Australian Space Agency supplies the rover. For this mission, the consortium works with NASA through the Australian Space Agency.”
“It’s been a huge honour and exciting to work on this lunar rover project,” said Kenrick.
“I’ve previously worked on various rovers, but this one is the most impactful. I came from the US to join this mission from its inception.
“My team is entirely Australian, and it’s thrilling to see them in action.”
The Australian Space Agency’s Moon to Mars initiative has involved a $150 million investment over five years.
The Trailblazer program, a flagship element of this initiative, allocates up to $50 million to grantees, Australian businesses, and researchers.
Initial funding stages, announced on March 20, 2023, allocated $4 million each to the ELO2 Consortium and another consortium to develop lunar rover prototypes.
“Together with Brisbane-based co-lead, EPE Oceania, we have assembled a consortium specifically for this mission, with expert scientists and engineers from Australia’s leading universities and industry and have received grant funding from the Australian Space Agency,” said Kenrick.
“Lunar Outpost is involved in other missions, but all the funding for this mission is channelled through the ELO2 Consortium.”
The consortium is a group of 16 different entities, all working towards the same goal of designing and manufacturing Australia’s first lunar rover.
“For us this is a national mission which will have impact in industry and research here in Australia,” said Kenrick.
“Our consortium partners are from across the country and the Trailblazer program helps to advance Australia’s capabilities in extreme environment robotics and all the technical aspects that go into designing a lunar rover that have application here on Earth.”
Currently, as part of phase one of the Artemis Program, ELO2 is competing against another consortium, called AROSE, based in Western Australia.
Both consortiums are designing their own prototype rovers, aiming to eventually be selected by the Australian Space Agency as the prime candidate.
The winner will move on to phase two of the program, which entails the manufacture of a flight rover that will then be sent to space.
Establishing lunar presence
“The Artemis campaign is led by NASA, but it is a multinational effort,” Kenrick said.
“Many nations have signed on to the Artemis Accords, which outline the vision and agreements for conducting this next phase of lunar settlement and exploration, similar to the Apollo program.
“The Trailblazer mission will support the Artemis campaign and help inform where the Artemis astronauts might land.”
The primary objective of the lunar rovers is to collect and sample lunar regolith, which is a layer of loose, heterogeneous material covering solid rock. It includes dust, soil, and broken rock.
The lunar regolith contains oxygen bound in chemical compounds with elements such as iron and silicon.
The rover’s task requires it to survey the environment, locate and collect the regolith, and transport it to the designated delivery zone.
Kenrick explained that the delivery zone will most likely be the lander, which is a spacecraft designed to land on the surface of an astronomical body.
“The lander is the typical route for rovers like this, with expectations for the lander to survive,” he said.
“While there are potential direct Earth options, the standard procedure involves the rover being deployed from and communicating through the lander”
Independence from earth is ultimately critical for the astronauts that will eventually return the Moon, as resource utilisation is critical for Moon colonisation as it ensures sustainability by reducing dependence on Earth for supplies.
This is in-turn critical for establishing a long-term presence on the Moon, in theory, which will enable NASA to travel to Mars.
Another important aspect of establishing human presence on the Moon and Mars, is by establishing a cislunar economy.
Kenrick explained that with technology becoming cheaper to produce, there is no better time for humans to return to space.
“Advancing technology and the advent of reusable, commercially made rockets have drastically reduced the cost of space access, creating a domino effect that makes Earth orbit and lunar missions economically feasible,” he said.
“We have some fully funded commercial lunar missions that will happen before this mission, without any government funding. This is the main driver in creating a cislunar economy.
“This will make Mars exploration more achievable and cost-effective, as the Moon can serve as a pit stop.”
Manufacturing and engineering
The manufacturing of the rover for the Trailblazer mission involves various materials such as aluminium, titanium, and specialised alloys, utilising manufacturing methods like sheet metal, CNC cutting, and additive metal 3D printing.
To develop specific parts for the lunar rover, ELO2 is partnering with universities.
“We tested various wheel and scoop designs with RMIT in their Advanced Manufacturing Precinct; they’re our main partner for manufacturing,” said Kenrick.
“Additionally, Titomic brings advanced capabilities to the project. Smaller components are supplied by other partners such as Melbourne Space Lab at the University of Melbourne.”
For ELO2, one of their goals is to ensure that all materials are sourced locally during the manufacturing process.
“There may be some niche, smaller components that could require sourcing internationally if local options aren’t available,” said Kenrick.
“Specific decisions on materials are pending as we finalise the design. Overall, most materials can be readily sourced locally for the project.”
Prior to sending the rover to moon, it must be ready to endure the conditions space. This necessitates rigorous testing.
Testing lunar regolith for oxygen is essential for a moon habitat because it supports life support, water production, rocket fuel, and construction, enabling a sustainable lunar presence.
Kenrick explained that there are two primary testing categories; functional and environmental testing.
Functional testing, which focuses on verifying operational capabilities remotely and ensuring mobility over lunar terrain, addresses challenges like time-delayed remote operation and extreme lighting conditions.
“In functional testing, we remotely operated the prototype from our control centre in the US while the rover was in Australia, proving our capability to run the mission solely through the rover’s cameras,” said Kenrick.
“Managing operations with a seven-second time delay can pose challenges, and it highlights the complexities of remote operation under such conditions.”
Kenrick said the tests are a critical and intensive phase throughout the program’s lifecycle.
“In environmental testing, the rover undergoes simulation in a thermal vacuum chamber to replicate space conditions, adjusting pressures and temperatures,” he said.
“This ensures that thermal management systems keep internal components within safe operating limits.
“Vibration and shock tests replicate launch stresses, including high-frequency vibrations and significant G-forces experienced during rocket detachment.”
The Artemis mission requires a maximum six-month transfer phase to the Moon, which is the most challenging part after launch.
The mission plans to use a yet to be selected Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) lander, of which each provider has varying transit times.
“The longest and most challenging part of the mission occurs upon launch,” said Kenrick.
“The longest transit time is six months, while most are expected to range from one to two weeks.
“Once landed, the mission’s minimum viable duration is just under two weeks, equivalent to a lunar day, during which all mission objectives must be achieved within 14 Earth days.”
Kenrick explained that lunar technology being developed by ELO2 offers dual-use capabilities for both space and Earth applications. Particularly in industries like mining and defence.
“Consider underground mines – dark, dangerous environments with no GPS, poor lighting, and high temperatures, similar to the lunar south pole with some differences,” he said.
“This niche technology developed for the moon finds applications in resource-centric missions and defence, addressing extreme remote environments and unstructured terrain.
“BHP, one of our key partners, underscores our focus on these capabilities.”
Challenges
The mission faces challenges in balancing tight budgets and timelines, navigating high-risk classifications, and proving technical reliability through prototype testing, all while aiming for cost reductions compared to previous NASA projects.
“This mission is under a fixed-duration, fixed-cost contract, classified as a Class D mission by NASA, which indicates a higher risk tolerance,” said Kenrick.
“Unlike Class A missions involving humans or budgets exceeding billions, where failure is not an option, Class D missions prioritise cost and schedule over technical success.”
Kenrick highlighted that Australia’s pioneering rover mission has placed considerable pressure on the ELO2 team.
“Given the national prestige attached to Australia’s first moon mission, it’s a flagship endeavour demanding a delicate balance between cost, schedule, and technical prowess,” he said
“Prototypes have been crucial in validating our end-to-end supply chains and team capabilities, though working within fixed resources poses challenges.
“It’s a continual process of trade-offs and risk management.”
Despite these challenges, the team remain passionate to be involved in such a program.
“Several of our team members graduated shortly before this program began, having pursued degrees and extracurricular activities focused on building lunar rovers, despite such opportunities not being available in Australia until now,” said Kenrick.
“It’s amazing to witness their dedication to a dream they’ve nurtured for over 20 years, now finally coming to fruition with this real opportunity to work on lunar rovers.”
ELO2’s future projects
Kenrick explained that the formation of the ELO2 Consortium for the Trailblazer mission has fostered a collaborative environment, enabling the team to synergise.
“It’s been a valuable partnership where we’ve learned a lot about each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and how we complement each other,” he said.
ELO2 members are now seeking other opportunities within the Artemis mission, particularly with manufacturing lunar vehicles.
“We’re exploring additional opportunities; our US team at Lunar Outpost leads the Lunar Dawn team, which won a contract for the next lunar terrain vehicle,” said Kenrick.
“This mirrors the competitive process for an upcoming NASA Artemis mission, potentially worth up to $4 billion.
“We’ve issued an RFI to Australian industry for critical technologies and are looking into ELO2 Consortium’s involvement.”