A new opportunity has been created for companies to join the Australian mission to space.
As the first off the launch-pad, Australian Remote Operations for Space and Earth (AROSE) welcomes mining technology leader IMDEX as an industry sponsor on its mission to design, build and remotely operate an Australian rover on the Moon.
Recently the Federal Government announced up to $50 million will be made available under the Moon to Mars Initiative Trailblazer program for an industry-led consortium of Australian businesses and research institutions to develop a Lunar Service Rover.
The semi-autonomous rover will collect lunar soil that contains oxides, and using separate equipment, NASA will aim to extract oxygen from the soil. This is a key step towards establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon and supporting future missions to Mars.
In June of this year, AROSE received a funding boost through the Federal Government’s Moon to Mars Initiative Demonstrator Feasibility grants, administered by the Australian Space Agency, for Stage 1 of the mission. Stage 1 is to develop the pilot concept for a remotely operated Lunar Service Rover.
Now AROSE is connecting industry to be part of this unique journey to Space.
IMDEX has joined AROSE as a sponsor for Stage 1 of the Mission. IMDEX develops cloud-connected sensors and drilling optimisation products to improve the process of identifying and extracting mineral resources.
AROSE Chief Executive Officer Leanne Cunnold said it was companies such as IMDEX that further strengthened Australia’s position on the global space platform by enabling the transfer of Australia’s cutting-edge robotics technology and systems for remote operations.
“The learnings from developing for the harshest of all environments, space, where you need to make things lighter, smaller, more power efficient can then help optimise operations on Earth” Ms Cunnold said.
“It also encourages other companies to be part of the nation’s Space future. The Space sector is expected to provide thousands of jobs and inject billions of dollars into our national economy.
“AROSE is connecting Australian industry with us on our journey to the Moon. I am delighted IMDEX has joined us as a sponsor.”
IMDEX Chief Executive Officer Paul House said the space industry was a natural extension of the expertise in automation and remote area operations that are the hallmarks of the Australian mining sector.
“IMDEX is at the forefront of finding solutions for the mining sector; using that knowledge to provide answers for the space industry will be both rewarding and exhilarating,” Mr House said.
