Australian subsidiary, Lunar Outpost Oceania and teammate EPE Oceania will advance Australian innovation in the global space economy
16 December 2024
Lunar Outpost today announced that its Australian subsidiary, Lunar Outpost Oceania, will lead the charge in building Australia’s first lunar rover. The project was awarded to the ELO2 Consortium, co-led by Lunar Outpost Oceania and EPE Oceania.
After an 18-month preliminary design period, the ELO2 Consortium has been selected to design, construct, and operate the Australian-made rover on the lunar surface. The project is funded by the Australian Government through the Australian Space Agency, representing a critical step forward for Australia’s role in the international space community.
The rover, named “Roo-ver” by the Australian public, represents a significant milestone for Lunar Outpost Oceania. Headquartered in Melbourne, Lunar Outpost Oceania is part of Lunar Outpost’s global expansion efforts to foster international collaboration in pursuit of a sustainable human presence in space. The Oceania team has driven the development of four rover prototypes each proving out a critical architectural decision in just 15 months, demonstrating technical expertise and leadership in delivering highly capable, reliable, cost-effective lunar surface mobility solutions.
"This award is a testament to the incredible work of our team in Australia," said Joseph Kenrick, Program Manager of Lunar Outpost Oceania. "It showcases not only the collaborative potential of the ELO2 Consortium but also Australia’s strengths in autonomous systems and remote operations dating back to the Apollo era. This isn’t just a mission for the Moon; it’s a mission to build Australia’s presence in space."
As the company’s fourth contracted lunar mission, it strengthens Lunar Outpost’s planetary mobility leadership. Each mission will provide critical insights and learnings that will guide scalable future endeavors, including Lunar Outpost’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle program for NASA leading towards a safe, highly capable, resilient Space Truck which will be responsible for establishing large scale infrastructure, setting the stage for a sustainable human presence in space.
"Lunar Outpost is pushing the boundaries of space exploration and revolutionizing surface mobility on the Moon and Mars,” said Justin Cyrus, CEO of Lunar Outpost. "In this new era of space, bolstered by global collaboration, we are proud to play a pivotal role – advancing our vision through international partnerships, supporting diverse missions, and growing our capabilities globally. We are looking forward to working with the Australian Space Agency, NASA and our partners on this historic lunar mission.”