Australians have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to name an Aussie-built rover that will go to the Moon. Voting on four shortlisted names is now open.
The Australian Space Agency, in partnership with NASA, is working with Australia’s space industry to design and build an Australian-made rover. It’s part of the Trailblazer program under the Moon to Mars initiative.
Drawing on Australia’s world-leading remote operations expertise, the rover will collect lunar soil, known as regolith. NASA will attempt to extract oxygen from the sample. This is a key step towards a sustainable human presence on the Moon.
The rover will go to the Moon as part of a future Artemis mission by as early as 2026.
More than 8,200 people and schools from across Australia entered the competition to name the rover. The judges have narrowed it down to four names. It’s now over to the wider public to vote for its favourite.
The names are:
- Coolamon
- Kakirra
- Mateship
- Roo-ver
Vote here.