Description:

The lunar deployable hopper project will develop and demonstrate a small robotic hopper, deployed as a secondary payload from the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Nova-C lander, that can provide access to extreme environments and locations of interest on the lunar surface. This deployable lunar hopper (µ-Nova), which will fly to the lunar surface in late 2024 on a Nova-C vehicle through a commercial mission (IM-2), leverages mature landing system technologies developed for the Nova-C platform by Intuitive Machines (IM). At the cost of a secondary payload on a small CLPS lander, µ-Nova enables lunar surface science and human exploration by providing targeted access for different types of payloads and mission profiles to extreme locations on the lunar surface. Among its technical capabilities, µ-Nova can operate in a Permanently Shadowed Region (PSR) for 45min, autonomously fly into and out of PSRs, carry a 1 kg (2.2 lb) payload, and “hop" the payload more than 2.5 km (1.5 mi). All communications with the µ-Nova hopper occur via S-band radio, with Nova-C serving as the relay station. The µ-Nova records payload data to its on-board computer and transmits the data once line-of-sight to the Nova-C lander is restored. The µ-Nova design is also scalable to larger payloads and travel range. For example, a 60 kg variant of the proposed design, which is still readily accommodated by the Nova-C platform and deployment concept, would be capable of carrying a 5 kg payload to a maximum range of over 20 km without return hops.

Benefits: A deployable robotic hopper (𝜇-Nova) will provide access to extreme locations and environments not accessible by humans in EVA suits, rovers, or other technologies. 𝜇-Nova is enabling for lunar surface science by providing a low-cost secondary payload option for Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) landers. The platform is flexible to accommodate different payloads on different mission profiles. The hopper will be able to operate in a permanently shadowed region (PSR) and will autonomously fly into and out of the PSR. Other mission types enabled by the proposed technology include access into lunar pits with vertical sidewalls and regional prospecting of multiple dispersed surface sites. Because of the way it travels, μ-Nova can quickly traverse between sites of interest, leaving more time for principal investigators to process data and to make decisions about the mission. This hopper significantly increases science return and lunar terrain accessibility. Through this Tipping Point demonstration, subsequent mission costs, system complexity and mass will be reduced. Additionally, the risk to future similar missions is reduced.