Mast mockup for wire routing experiment

Mast mockup for wire routing experiment The rover’s camera motion is panned from an actuator at the base of the mast. Numerous wires route within the mast to service the cameras, antenna, tilt motor and sensors that reside on top. The mast pans more than 360 degrees, which imposes substantial twisting and spiralling on the wires. Since the wire bundle is so dense, and moves so much, the mast is mocked up to experiment with the details. These parts assemble to emulate a mockup of the mast and its panning motion. From AstroboticBlogPhotos  Read More →

Mirrors

Mirrors Mirrors view more of the robot surface than possible from direct camera viewing. Close-ups of the drive-line and side-frames are possible. The curved surface functions like a bus mirror to view a large area. The telephoto optics achieve good resolution. From AstroboticBlogPhotos  Read More →

CNN - Google launches new space race to the moon

(CNN) – When Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon, he uttered unforgettable words. But the next visitor to roam the lunar landscape may send back e-mail instead. One of the teams competing in the Google Lunar X Prize is considering this rover concept for the mission. Welcome to a new kind of space race, where the earthly guest will be a machine and the goal is as much exploration as seeking out new business ventures. The quest is part of the Google Lunar X Prize, which will put $20 million into the hands of the first privately funded team that can land a rover... [Read more]

Panorama

  Panorama This panorama is automatically stitched from ten photos panned by the robot.  Read More →

Tiny thermocouples

  Tiny thermocouples Many thermocouples monitor temperatures throughout the spacecraft and rover. The information is used during the mission to maneuver for thermal regulation and to monitor thermal conditions. These thermocouples are so small that they can be embedded in composite layups. They operate as network nodes so that they share common wiring that reduces harness complexity.    Read More →

Telephoto lens

  Telephoto lens The telephoto lens requires three closed-loop motions with position feedback…. zoom, focus and iris… and the pointing requires pan and tilt. By comparison, locomotion succeeds with only two decoupled open-loop drive actuators.  Read More →

LaFarge test site

  LaFarge test site The LaFarge test site is a little ‘moon on earth’. It is undistinguished as a vast stockpile of a slag byproduct from steel-making. It is unique because LaFarge management supports our experimentation with heavy equipment, access and finely ground materials that simulate regolith. Site terrain varies from trivial to profoundly difficult. LeFarge is a worldwide supplier of construction materials and aggregates. We are blessed by LaFarge’s generosity.  Read More →

Astrobotic opens Pittsburgh HQ

Astrobotic Technology opens Pittsburgh headquarters PITTSBURGH, PA – Sept. 21, 2008 – Astrobotic Technology Inc., a company founded to provide robotic services on the lunar frontier, has opened its headquarters office in Pittsburgh. Astrobotic intends to win the Google Lunar X Prize by landing a rover on the Moon by May 2010 near the historic Apollo 11 site. Subsequent lunar missions will build a long-term business of robotic scouting and development activities for national space agencies, corporations, foundations and the media. The company’s business team is located across the street... [Read more]

NASA awards contract

Astrobotic Technology wins NASA contract PITTBURGH, PA – August 3, 2008 – The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has awarded Astrobotic Technology Inc. a contract to develop concepts for moving lunar soil in preparation for the agency’s coming Moon outpost. The contract will be executed in cooperation with the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University. NASA’s Surface Systems division of its lunar Constellation Program selected Astrobotic Technology and ten other firms to conduct 180-day studies on key challenges of operating on the Moon. Other winners sharing in... [Read more]

Composite elements

  Composite elements These composite elements are optimized for thermal, stiffness and strength-to-weight properties. These are not full-size spacecraft parts. They are sub-sections created to develop and test fabrication techniques These first parts fall short on engineering performance, which is not surprising. That realization is the tremendous advantage of building early, and it is the great payoff of persistent testing.  Read More →

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