Unmanned Systems Technology 006 | ECA Inspector Mk2 USV | Antenna systems | Northwest UAV NW-44 | Unmanned ground vehicles | Navigation systems | Lunar X challenge

80 February/March 2016 | Unmanned Systems Technology prizes will have those winnings deducted from their eventual Grand or Second Place prize, but keep the money if they don’t win. There is also a possibility that a team not selected to compete for milestone prizes could still go on to win Grand or Second Place, which means that the overall prize purse will exceed $30m, so Google has increased the prize fund to $40m. Getting there The biggest challenge in the competition though has turned out to be actually getting to the Moon. To address this, Hakuto has teamed up with Astrobotic to carry its dual rovers. Astrobotic plans to launch its mission from Florida on a Falcon 9 during the second half of 2016, and the Hakuto rovers will piggyback on Astrobotic’s Griffin to reach the lunar surface. The Hakuto rovers will be released simultaneously with Astrobotic’s rover. All three of them have already demonstrated the ability to move the 500 m across a replica of the lunar surface and withstand the high radiation environment and extreme temperatures they will face on the Moon. The target area for the landing is the Lacus Mortis region, where images suggest there could be a cave that has the potential to be turned into a lunar habitation. This will lead to a true race of autonomous systems, launched from the same place at the same time. The other team with a confirmed launch is Moon Express with its MX-1, by the end of 2016. By contrast, another team, Team Synergy Moon, which has members from 15 countries, is developing its own rocket with partner Interorbital Systems of California, rather than looking for a launch contract. Synergy Moon is planning a key sub-orbital test flight with eight commercial payloads in the first quarter of 2016, followed by a mission in the third quarter of 2016 that will send a small satellite (nanosat) to the Moon to provide data. Late 2016 will see the team’s first orbital mission, launching more than 30 nanosats into low-Earth orbit and including payloads for other teams in the competition such as Part-Time Scientist, Team Plan B and Euroluna. Synergy Moon’s actual journey to the Moon is planned for the end of 2017, with its Neptune L-1000 rocket deploying the CYGO Cruiser for the trip. When it gets to the Moon the cruiser will release a lunar lander to deploy two rovers called Tesla Prospector and Tesla Surveyor. The Tesla Surveyor is designed as a remotely controlled excursion vehicle, with two high-definition video cameras for stereoscopic vision to take viewers on a trip across the surface of the Moon. The Prospector, also remotely controlled, is fitted with sensors, cameras and smaller microbots to examine the environment and identify the mineral content of the rocks and lunar surface. As well as autonomous operation, the Prospector and the Surveyor will have an internet-based control system relayed back via the lander. The other 14 teams have until the end of 2016 to confirm a launch slot in order to be part of the final stage, and there are various groups now forming to achieve this. The Earthrise Space Foundation (ESF) is working with a number of the teams on lunar delivery services. Team AngelicvM from Chile for example has signed a $1.6m contract with the ESF to send its 1 kg rover to the Moon, launching at the end of 2017. Separately, the ESF is backing Team Omega Envoy, whose Sagan rover has been through testing in Florida in environments that replicate the presence of lunar dust. Images of the target landing area suggest there could be a cave that has the potential to be turned into a lunar habitation The Amalia rover from Team DIANA has an active suspension system