NASA engineers have been putting prototypes of future moon buggies through the paces out at a field test in the Arizona desert lava fields. Here’s a video taken on Sept. 6 showing the capabilities of the Chariot B, and it’s pretty impressive. The Chariot features 12 wheels driven by two electric motors through a two-speed transmission. It can perform in a “bulldozer” mode with up to 1814 kg (4,000 pounds) of force or cruise at up to 24 kph (15 mph). Or, in this case, it can climb up extremely treacherous terrain. The modular design also means that the steel alloy frame can be fitted with several different crew and payload combinations, including a small pressurized cabin and a sample collector.
For more on the field tests, follow the Desert RATS on Twitter, and see more images of the Chariot and the Lunar Electric Rover (LER) on Flickr.
The Gum Nebula is an emission nebula almost 1400 light-years away. It's home to an…
Earth is naked without its protective barrier. The planet's magnetic shield surrounds Earth and shelters…
No human being will ever encounter a black hole. But we can't stop wondering what…
The Sun is increasing its intensity on schedule, continuing its approach to solar maximum. In…
Does another undetected planet languish in our Solar System's distant reaches? Does it follow a…
It's that time again. NIAC (NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts) has announced six concepts that will…