Carnegie Mellon University issued the following announcement.
MoonRanger, a small robotic rover being developed by Carnegie Mellon University and its spinoff Astrobotic, has completed its preliminary design review in preparation for a 2022 mission to search for signs of water at the moon's south pole.
Whether buried ice exists in useful amounts is one of the most pressing questions in lunar exploration, and MoonRanger will be the first to seek evidence of it on the ground. If found in sufficient concentration at accessible locations, ice might be the most valuable resource in the solar system, said William "Red" Whittaker, University Founders Research Professor in the Robotics Institute.
"Water is key to human presence on and use of the moon," explained Whittaker, who is leading development of MoonRanger. "Space agencies around the world are intent on investigating it."
Whittaker and his team first approached NASA about using robots to search for lunar ice in 1996, and they will fulfill that vision a quarter century later by landing in 2022.
"This hasn't been quick or easy," Whittaker said. "It is stunning that after these many years we will have the first look."
NASA will follow MoonRanger at a later date with its more capable Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER), which will perform more rigorous and sustained exploration and scientific characterization of the ice.
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