Liquid-Oxygen Powered Moon SUV
Wed, Nov 26, 2008
Image: Stuart Fox/NASA
With the intent of starting new missions on the Moon by 2020, NASA will need an off-roader capable of handling a multitude of situations. The Chariot is one of the new prototypes for NASA’s next generation lunar rover. Taking a cue from the Mars rovers, it will have six wheels, each with it’s own independent steering.
The current rover, active since the 70s, like the shuttles, will be replaced with a vehicle capable of carrying out much larger missions. The new rover will move passengers and freight as well as geological samples. It will be a truly all-purpose machine. The intention is to power all of this with liquid-oxygen and -hydrogen rather than batteries.
Image: Stuart Fox/NASA
Right now, the vehicle’s color comes from anodized aluminum. Should the vehicle reach full production, the astronauts who use it will be cruising the Moon in a much more expensive thermal coating of gold. A true chariot for the men on the Moon.
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November 28th, 2008 at 2:44 am
I believe in 50 years (having colonized the moon) we will be driving those babies downtown Sea Of Tranquility!
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Hope to see you there! Cheers!
December 13th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Did you guys really have to call it “Liquid-Oxygen Powered” in the title, despite the fact that it actually runs on a plain old LOX+LH2 fuel cell — which your sources and even your article clearly state ??
LOX-powered devices use evaporating lq. oxygen to drive a turbine. This has nothing to do with it.