Swinburne University researchers are playing a central role in the development of Roo-ver, the small Australian rover set to travel to the Moon later this decade on a NASA-funded commercial lander.
The suitcase-sized vehicle will operate for just over 14 Earth days on the lunar surface, showcasing Australia’s advanced robotics, automation and remote-operations capability. The mission is already supporting skills development for high-tech jobs and sparking interest in STEM careers.
Swinburne is a key member of the ELO2 Consortium, which brings together startups, SMEs, major resource companies, research partners and universities. The university’s Space Technology and Industry Institute (STII) is contributing to two mission-critical areas: lunar dust mitigation and space radiation evaluation.
The program is led by STII co-directors Dr Rebecca Allen and Associate Professor Andrew Ang. Associate Professor Jeremy Brown heads the radiation effects team, while Dr Michelle Dunn leads the lunar dust mitigation team.
Brown’s group is modelling radiation exposure during transit and on the lunar surface, and conducting radiation testing on critical electronics. Brown said Roo-ver offered a rare opportunity to build Australia’s space-sector skills, drawing on experience gained at CERN, ESA and NASA.
The team includes postdoctoral fellow Dr Matthew Large, responsible for computational modelling tools deployed on Swinburne’s OzStar supercomputer, and industry PhD student Jayden Rinaldo, who is developing new instrumentation and methods for radiation testing.
The lunar dust mitigation team is addressing the hazards posed by ultrafine lunar regolith, which can cause abrasion, mechanical wear and solar panel contamination. The group is conducting dust risk assessments and creating tailored mitigation solutions using technologies such as electrostatic dust shields, point-charge mitigation, coatings and other protective systems.
Dunn, Swinburne’s lead for space robotics, said the goal was to ensure reliability in extreme environments.
Professor Geoffrey Brooks contributes expertise in lunar materials processing, while postdoctoral researchers Dr Daniel Ricardo and Dr Philipp Zanon are developing solutions to reduce dust impacts and support effective robotic operations.
The mission builds on Swinburne’s broader expertise in advanced manufacturing, space science, artificial intelligence and resource processing, and is expected to accelerate Australia’s growth in off-Earth industries.
