Moon Diver (spacecraft)

Moon Diver
Axel rover prototype
Mission typeReconnaissance
OperatorNASA
Mission durationone lunar day (≈14 Earth days)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeLander and rover
Dimensionsrover: 1.5 m × 0.9 m
Start of mission
Launch dateProposed: 2025[1]
Moon lander
Spacecraft componentLander
Landing siteMare Tranquillitatis
Moon rover
Spacecraft componentAxel
Landing siteTranquillitatis Pit
← Psyche

Moon Diver is a proposed lunar mission concept by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory that would employ a robotic lander and a – distant coaxial – two-wheeled rover called Axel to investigate the exposed geological layers on the walls of a deep lunar pit.[1][2]

The mission was proposed in mid-2019 to NASA's Discovery Program to compete for funding and development.[3] The finalists were announced in February 2020, and the Moon Diver was not selected.[4]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Brown March 2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Nesnas_2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Nesnas IA, Kerber L, Parness A, Kornfeld R, Sellar G, McGarey P, Brown T, Paton M, Smith M, Johnson A, Heverly M (2 March 2019). "Moon Diver: A Discovery Mission Concept for Understanding the History of Secondary Crusts through the Exploration of a Lunar Mare Pit". 2019 IEEE Aerospace Conference. pp. 1–23. doi:10.1109/AERO.2019.8741788. ISBN 978-1-5386-6854-2. S2CID 195224363.
  4. ^ "NASA Selects Four Possible Missions to Study the Secrets of the Solar System". NASA. February 13, 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.