LELR - Lunar Exploration Light Rover
The largest and fastest of the Canadian Space Agency's fleet, this rover is a terrestrial prototype of a mobile Moon lab, but could be upgraded to carry astronauts (like the Moon buggy used during the Apollo missions).
Technical details
| Target destination | Moon |
|---|---|
| Size (Length, width, height) | 3.1 m x 1.99 m x 3.01 m (roughly the size of a mid-sized car) |
| Mass | 967 kg |
| Can carry | 300 kg |
| Speed | 15 km/h at top speed |
| Powered by | Electrical power (Lithium-Ion batteries) |
Highlights
- Has multiple on-board cameras and sensors in order to be controlled from a remote location, but is also semi-autonomous—the rover can use its lidar vision system to scan its environment and navigate short distances around obstacles without help from humans
- Can roam up to 15 km from home base
- Can carry up to 300 kg of science equipment, such as a robot arm to scoop up samples for on-board analysis
Built by
MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA).
Partners
Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), UTIAS-ASRL (Autonomous Space Robotics Lab), Ryerson University, University of Western Ontario, York University, University of Winnipeg, University of British Columbia, McMaster University, Hamilton Sunstrand, University of Toronto, Turquoise Technology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Penguin ASI.
