Britain will launch a robotic ‘Space Spider’ to the moon in 2021, the first time a walking King Rover has been sent to explore the distant world.
This small probe, developed by London-based robotics experts SpaceBit – is set to go to the lunar surface with summer in the next phase with NASA.
It would mark the first time a British rover landed on the moon, and spacebit engineers chose feet instead of wheels so they could choose a route over pitted terrain, and crawl through underground lava tubes to see if they were habitable for humans. Is. .
Many experts now believe that tunnel-like rooms in the rock formed by lava rivers billions of years ago – lava tubes can provide natural shelters and are therefore a good place to establish first settlements.
The moon is a treacherous atmosphere for astronauts, as temperatures can drop below -274F (-170C) during lunar nights, and the surface is bombarded by solar radiation and micro-meteors.
Although the largest lava tubes on Earth reach only 60 feet wide, on the moon they can grow hundreds of feet wide and can be sealed to hold inhaled air.
Rocky roofs also provide a readymade shield against harmful radiation and the indoor temperature only ranges from -4F to -22 (-20C to -30C), so that the tubes can be heated to a comfortable level.
One tube, found in the Marius Hills area, is at least 1,000 yards wide and tall, and may contain small towns. There may be a large underground network, since volcanic activity on the moon was prevalent.
Pavello Tansuke, CEO of Spacebit, said it was crucial to design a rover with legs to find out if lava tubes are useful for habitation.
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