MIT engineers envision AstroAnt can work as one of a “swarm” of miniature helper bots. MIT
Cutting-edge MIT payloads will soon hitch a ride to the Moon’s South Pole.
The Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission, carrying MIT payloads, is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, with a targeted launch date of no earlier than February 26.
The payloads include: a small 3D camera, a thumb-sized mini-rover, and a record with human voices. These payloads will be equipped on a suitcase-sized rover made by Lunar Outpost.
The IM-2 mission will deliver experiments to the Moon’s South Pole, where NASA hopes to create a permanent base.
Evidence suggests its permanently shadowed regions could hold vital reservoirs of frozen water, a key resource for future settlements and deep-space missions.
“Our goal is not just to visit the moon but to build a thriving ecosystem that supports humanity’s expansion into space,” said Dava Newman, Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics at MIT, and director of the MIT Media Lab.
A mini-rover, dubbed “AstroAnt,” will wheel around the roof of the main rover. MIT
The MIT payloads
A novel camera will be used to capture the “first-ever 3D color depth images” of the lunar surface. The rover-mounted camera uses lasers to measure the “time-of-flight” of light to determine distances. This data would help to create 3D maps of the lunar surface, including crater depths.
Moreover, these images will train Artemis astronauts and enhance their spacesuit technology.
The tiny AstroAnt rover will use magnetic wheels to traverse the main rover’s roof. It includes a thermopile, a small sensor designed to measure the main rover’s temperature.
If it performs as intended, this tiny rover could pave the way for future missions utilizing swarms of miniature robots. These helper bots could perform vital tasks like cleaning solar panels.
Interestingly, the mission will carry a 2-inch disc or “wafer-thin record” containing voices from diverse global communities, each speaking in their native tongue.
This mission signifies MIT’s return to active lunar technology deployment since the Apollo era. During Apollo, MIT’s Instrumentation Laboratory (now Draper Laboratory) created the Apollo Guidance Computer, which enabled successful lunar navigation.
“This mission has deep MIT roots,” said Ariel Ekblaw, who is the principal investigator for the MIT arm of the IM-2 mission.
“This will be historic in that we’ve never landed technology or a rover in this area of the lunar south pole. It’s a really hard place to land — there are big boulders, and deep dust. So, it’s a bold attempt.”
The MIT camera is mounted on the front of a rover. MIT
IM-2 mission to the Moon
The IM-2 mission will investigate water ice at the South Pole by using a lander-mounted ice drill and a robotic “hopper.”
The mission will land on Mons Mouton Plateau, a flat mountain near Shackleton Crater at the South Pole. This location is significant because Shackleton Crater is a potential landing site for Artemis astronauts.
Upon landing, the Intuitive Machines lander will deploy the Lunar Outpost rover, which will then explore the region. After adjusting to the environment, the rover will switch on its instruments to begin its scientific investigations.
NASA’s Artemis III mission plans to land astronauts at the South Pole in 2027. To prepare, MIT’s payloads will provide critical data about this uncharted territory before their arrival.
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“Our return to the Moon is not just about advancing technology — it’s about inspiring the next generation of explorers who are alive today and will travel to the moon in their lifetime,” Ekblaw concluded in the press release.
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Mrigakshi Dixit Mrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her work has been featured in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, The Weather Channel and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not hesitate to email her.
