Nasa Astronauts to Drive Moon Buggy for First Time in Half a Century

Astronauts will drive on the Moon again after Nasa chose three companies to design a new lunar buggy for its upcoming crewed Artemis mission.

The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) will be an updated version of the “Moon Buggy” which was driven by Apollo astronauts in the 1970s – a car designed by Boeing, based on the existing dune buggy.

Driving on the Moon is difficult because lunar dust is made of tiny sharp glassy particles which can get inside moving parts on a rover and has in the past caused the buggies to overheat.

To make matters worse, the dust is electrostatically charged, causing it to stick to electrically charged surfaces.

The new rovers will also have to withstand temperatures of between 212F and -400F (100C and -240C) at the Moon’s South Pole, resist radiation, and operate for a fortnight in total darkness each month. …

Source: Yahoo!