Australia To Allocate $36.7 Million For Lunar Rover - Government

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th October, 2021) Australia will allocate $36.7 million to build its own lunar rover, as part of joint efforts to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon, the Australian government said on Wednesday.

"Leading Australian businesses and researchers will come together to develop the rover, backed by $50 million (US $36.7 million) in funding from the Trailblazer program in the Government's Moon to Mars initiative," the government said in a statement.

It is assumed that the lunar rover will be included in the research program, in an agreement reached by Australia with the American space agency NASA.

The semi-automatic lunar rover will collect samples of soil on the moon, which contains oxides, and with the help of special equipment NASA will then release the oxygen from this soil, according to the Australian government.

"This is a key step towards establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon and supporting future missions to Mars," the government noted.

According to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the Australian government wants to triple the size of its space sector by 2030, expecting it to generate $12 billion and create 20,000 new jobs for highly skilled professionals.

Under the agreement with Australia, NASA will send a rover to the moon at the earliest in 2026.