Europe will bring robots to the moon

The European Space Agency will design an extremely sophisticated robot to explore the moon in the future.

Autonomous robot model designed by EADS Astrium company. (Photo: BBC).

The BBC said the European Space Agency (ESA) has signed a contract to build a moon exploration robot with EADS Astrium. The robot has a mass of 700-800 kg and is equipped with an automatic guide system to be able to perform a precise and safe landing. It will take a picture of the area below to find ramps and rocks and choose a safe place to land. Solar panels will power the robot.

After landing on the south pole of the moon, the robot will release an autonomous device to perform the exploration mission. The south pole is chosen because it is the place to receive the most sunlight. This is important because Europe does not yet possess the technology to produce electricity from nuclear decay like the United States. Therefore their robots will not be able to operate long in the dark.

" We will search for minerals and water on the moon to prepare for the human presence on the moon in the future, " said Simonetta Di Pippo, ESA's director of manned flights. expression.

Richard Fisackerly, an ESA scientist, hopes robots can explore the moon for up to half a year. In addition to the quest for resources that humans can use in future adventures, robots will also study the environment on the moon to determine the risks to astronauts when they fall. set down to the south pole of the moon.

If European leaders agree, robots built by EADS Astrium will be put on the moon by Russia's Soyuz spacecraft before the end of 2010.