An American lunar rover is getting ready to land on the Moon, but before you assume it’s NASA, pause. Since Iris is not from the top US space agency, it was actually built by faculty, students and alumni of Carnegie Mellon University.
Even if NASA is also gearing up for the November 2024 landing of their own lunar rover called VIPER, Iris itself will land on the Moon much sooner – May 4 is absolutely specific. body. The light lunar probe has taken several years to become a reality, and according to a press release from Carnegie Mellon University, it is now ready to board the Peregrine lunar lander for its flight to the Moon.
After Iris lands on the Moon, it will go on a 60-hour mission – taking pictures and sending them back to Earth. And much of its ability here is due to factors like it being the smallest and lightest autonomous vehicle, and the first to feature both a carbon fiber chassis and wheels. Raewyn Duvall, commander of the Iris mission, said: “We have been working for many years on this mission and to get the launch date on the calendar is an exciting step. “Iris will open the door to exploration of the moon and space by demonstrating that a small, lightweight rover built by students can succeed on the moon.”
Date of first publication: March 31, 2023, 15:54 pm IST
