Last year the automotive company Audi had announced that they were working on a lunar rover and now it is being released that the vehicle is finally complete. The only stage left is to test it out before they send it to the moon so the german automotive company is bringing the rover to the Middle East where the final phase will begin by running simulations of the mission.
Image credit: Audi
In case you do not know of the mission, the parameters were set by Google for the Google Lunar XPRIZE in which the first team to land a rover on the moon, drive 500 meters and send back photos will win the prize money of $30 million. The rover must be privately funded.
From the beginning stages of the project until now, Audi's rover has actually increased in size but has actually went down in weight. It went from 38 to 30 kilograms which is a difference of 66 pounds. The four wheels on the rover are powered by electric wheels.
If all goes well we should get some good shots of the lunar rover from the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 that was left behind since the supposed landing area is to be close to it.
The date set for the launch has been made for the end of 2017.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Advertisement
CCP Auctions
186 Talbot St W, Blenheim
(416) 923-7500