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A trio of NASA autonomous rovers are heading to the Moon as part of the CADRE mission, a revolutionary experiment in robotic teamwork.
These suitcase-sized explorers will operate independently, using cameras and radar to scan the surface and interior of the moon. Their success could impact the future of space exploration by demonstrating how fleets of robots can collect data and support astronauts without direct human command.
NASA's trio of lunar rovers begins its journey
NASA's three small lunar rovers designed to explore the moon as part of a crew have been packed up and shipped from the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California, marking the completion of the first leg of their journey to the lunar surface.
These rovers are part of the CADRE (Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration) project, a technology demonstration that aims to prove that multiple robots can work together to collect data without direct instructions from Earth. Equipped with cameras and ground-penetrating radar, they will take pictures of the surface and interior of the Moon., while simultaneously testing advanced autonomous software that allows them to collaborate autonomously.
The JPL team has packed up three small lunar rovers and will deliver them to the facility in February, where they will be attached to a commercial lunar lander in preparation for launch. The rovers are part of a project called CADRE, which could pave the way for potential future missions using multiple robots.
Journey to the Moon: Launch and Destination
The CADRE rovers are scheduled to launch aboard IM-3, Intuitive Machines' third lunar mission, with a launch window in early 2026. As part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, they will be deployed from the Nova-C lander in the Gamma Ray region on the western nearside of the Moon.
These compact, solar-powered rovers – each about the size of a suitcase – will operate for the duration of a lunar day, which is about 14 Earth days. Their mission could lay the groundwork for future explorations, where autonomous teams of robots will assist astronauts while simultaneously taking broad scientific measurements.
Engineers tested a system that will land three small rovers on the moon's surface when the CADRE technology demonstrator arrives on the moon aboard a lunar rover. The test took place in a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in December 2023. The lander will be equipped with three deployment systems, one for each rover.
Thorough testing and preparation for space
Construction of the CADRE equipment, as well as extensive testing to ensure it could withstand the journey into space, was successfully completed in February 2024.
To prepare for shipment to Intuitive Machines’ facility in Houston, each rover was attached to a deployment system that would lower it by cable from the lander to the dusty lunar surface. Engineers inverted each rover-deployer pair and secured it to an aluminum plate for safe transport. The rovers were then sealed in protective metal frames, which were tightly packed into metal shipping containers and loaded onto a truck. The equipment arrived safely on Sunday, Feb. 9.
Members of the JPL team working on NASA's CADRE technology demonstration use temporary red handles to move one of the project's small lunar rovers to prepare it for transport to Intuitive Machines' facility in Houston, where it will be attached to the company's third lunar rover.
Excitement builds as Mars rovers begin their journey
The rovers, a base station, and a camera system that will observe CADRE experiments on the Moon will be integrated with the lander – as well as several other NASA payloads – in preparation for the launch of the IM-3 mission.
Three small rovers headed to the Moon – part of NASA's CADRE technology demonstration – are positioned in a clean room at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California on January 26, 2024.
More about CADRE
CADRE (Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration) is a NASA technology demonstration designed to test how multiple autonomous robots can work together to explore the Moon. Project managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, was developed as part of the Game Changing Development program, part of NASA's Space Technology Office. It was selected as part of the Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative, which aims to accelerate the development of technologies for a sustained human presence on the Moon.
The CADRE mission will send a team of small, solar-powered rovers to the lunar surface to demonstrate collaborative autonomous operations without direct human control. Using ground-penetrating cameras and radar, the rovers will map the lunar surface and subsurface while testing advanced software for coordinating robotic rovers.
