Local rover set for Moon mission
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An Australian consortium has been chosen to deliver the nation’s first lunar rover.
The ELO2 Consortium, co-led by EPE Oceania and Lunar Outpost Oceania, has been selected to design, build, and operate Australia’s first lunar rover as part of a $42 million project commissioned by the Australian Space Agency.
The project will see the semi-autonomous rover, named ‘Roo-ver’, deployed to the lunar surface to collect lunar soil and support NASA’s Artemis Program.
This marks a significant milestone in Australia’s space exploration efforts and highlights its growing capabilities in advanced robotics and engineering.
“This is an extraordinary moment for our nation,” said the Consortium’s co-leads, EPE Oceania and Lunar Outpost Oceania, in a joint statement.
“It is a privilege to contribute to this groundbreaking national mission and to showcase the world-class talent and capabilities of our Australian research and industry partners on the global stage.”
The ELO2 Consortium unites 21 organisations across research institutions, SMEs, and industry leaders from all Australian states and territories.
It follows an 18-month preliminary phase, during which the group developed and tested four rover prototypes with $4 million in funding from the Australian Space Agency.
The mission is expected to advance key technologies, including autonomous systems, advanced sensors, communications, AI, and extreme environment robotics.
These developments aim to bolster Australia’s strengths in remote operations and manufacturing, with broad terrestrial applications across industries such as mining and energy.
Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic, has noted the mission’s economic and technological significance.
“This mission is about much more than an historic Aussie moonshot. It’s leveraging and building on our know-how in robotics, automation and advanced engineering to build Australia’s manufacturing future,” he said.
Head of the Australian Space Agency, Enrico Palermo, said Australia has a major role in international space exploration.
“Roo-ver demonstrates the cutting-edge capability Australia can offer to major international space missions,” he said.
“Australia is gaining valuable knowledge and technical skill just from developing Roo-ver, creating opportunities to become an even bigger part of the global space sector.”
Work on the project begins immediately as NASA finalises launch plans with the Australian Space Agency.
Once operational, the rover will help deepen scientific understanding of the lunar surface and contribute to establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon.
