Aegis-Class Rover — Pressurized Lunar Mobility Platform

01 — Overview

Why a Pressurized Rover

Open rovers solve early sortie missions. Aegis solves permanent lunar presence — eliminating the single greatest bottleneck in lunar exploration: EVA fatigue.

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Shirtsleeves Environment

Full life support at 55.2 kPa / 38.7% O₂ — equivalent sea-level oxygen. Crew works, sleeps, eats, and plans without suits. Productivity multiplied 4–6× over EVA-only concepts.

☀️

Solar Storm Shelter

Deployable water-wall bladders in Zone C provide ~10 cm shielding on all sides. Reduces August-1972-class SPE dose from unsurvivable to manageable emergency exposure over 12 hours.

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Mobile Command Post

Planning table, science bench with glove box, full tool storage, maintenance bench, medical station with telemedicine. The rover is a workspace, not just transport.

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Aegis Ecosystem Node

Integrated with Aegis Station (orbit), Short-Hoppers, Long-Haulers, Tankers, and WOK prospecting rovers. Closed-loop mobility and water-logistics from orbit to surface.

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Autonomous Modes

Manual, semi-autonomous, or fully autonomous. Return-to-base and autonomous scouting modes. Forward-looking LIDAR terrain classification for path planning.

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Medical Capability

Fold-down medical bench, full CMO kit (diagnostics, surgery, IV), AED with cardiac monitoring, telemedicine link. Pressurized refuge during EVA incidents.

02 — Vehicle Architecture

Command Module Dimensions

Every dimension derives from a single constraint: 2.1 m interior cabin height for standing room over 30–60 day missions. The rest follows through structural, thermal, and stability logic.

10.0 m

Overall Length

Cabin interior 8.0 m

4.0 m

Track Width (C-C)

~4.6–4.8 m with treads

3.90 m

Total Height

Incl. SSSRA array tier

3.4 × 8.0 m

Cabin Interior

27.2 m² floor / ~57 m³ gross

6.5 m

Wheelbase

3 axles, 6×6 all-wheel drive

1.54 m

CG Height

SSF 1.30 rollover margin

2.1 m

Interior Height

Standing room, full cabin

~100 mm

Wall Buildup

Liner / Al-Li / MLI / MMOD

Aegis Command Module Cross-Section — looking forward

Cross-Section — Looking Forward — All Subsystems Shown

Aegis Command Module Longitudinal Section — port side view

Longitudinal Section — Port Side View — Zones A through E

03 — Interior Layout

Five Zones, Fore to Aft

Forward is operational, aft is personal. A continuous 0.75 m aisle on the port side is the emergency egress path, stretcher route, and primary circulation spine. Dust stays at the door.

Zone	Name	Length	Area	Functions
A	Forward Command	1.6 m	5.4 m²	Pilot/co-pilot stations, nav displays, forward windows, hand controllers
B	Central Workspace	2.4 m	8.2 m²	Planning table, galley, tool storage, science bench, comm station
C	Crew Quarters	2.2 m	7.5 m²	3 berths (2 lower + 1 upper), hygiene closet, medical bench, lockers
D	Systems Bay	1.2 m	4.1 m²	ECLSS racks, PDU, spares, floor access panels
E	Airlock Vestibule	0.6 m	2.0 m²	Suitports (×2), dust management, HEPA, exterior hatch

Aegis Command Module Cabin Plan View — top down

Cabin Plan View — Top-Down, Roof Removed — Equipment Placement

Suitport EVA Interface

The baseline EVA interface uses suitports rather than a traditional airlock. The dust-covered suit never enters the cabin — crew enters from inside through a sealed hull port, seals, and detaches. On return, the suit docks and crew exits inside. This eliminates ~95% of dust ingress and saves 5–10 kg of atmosphere gas per 60-day mission. Ingress/egress takes 10–15 minutes vs. 30–45 minutes for a full airlock cycle. The vestibule can revert to traditional airlock mode if suitport seals fail.

Crew Habitability

Private sleeping berths (2.0 × 0.70 × 0.85 m) with sound-attenuating curtains, individual LED reading lights, and USB-C ports. Circadian lighting system transitions from 5000K blue-enriched (day) through 3000K warm (evening) to 1800K amber (night) on a 24-hour schedule. Zone C targets ≤45 dBA for sleep quality. No shower — body cleaning uses no-rinse wipes consistent with ISS and submarine practice. Exercise via EVA activity plus resistance bands and isometric protocols.

Cabin Atmosphere: 55.2 kPa (8.0 psia) / 38.7% O₂ / 21.4 kPa ppO₂ (sea-level equivalent)
Temperature: 20–22°C day, 18–19°C sleep | Humidity: 40–55% RH
CO₂ limit: <0.53 kPa nominal, alarm at 0.67 kPa | Particulate: <1.0 mg/m³ respirable
Benefit: Reduced hull structural loads + EVA prebreathe cut to ~40 min (vs. 2–4 hr from 101.3 kPa)
⚠ All interior materials must pass NASA-STD-6001 flammability at >35% O₂

04 — Power & Thermal

Stacked Solar-Shade Radiator Architecture

The SSSRA places a solar array tier above a flat-plate radiator, shading it from direct solar flux while generating power. A low-emissivity backside coating is the key enabler — without it, IR backradiation erodes the shade benefit.

20 m²

Roof Solar Array

~724 W at 6° south pole sun

6.0 m²

Radiator Area

1,530 W rejection at degraded EoM

100 kWh

Battery Capacity

4 × 25 kWh LFP modules

1–3 kW

Fuel Cell

H₂-O₂ for night operations

ε ≤ 0.10

Backside Emissivity

VDA coating — ~20 W/m² IR penalty

310 K

Radiator Temp

Operating temp, fluid loop

0.4 m

Clearance Gap

Array-to-radiator spacing

2 × 5 m²

Deployable Wings

Tilted arrays, ~3,480 W combined

Power Budget (24-hr traverse day):
Cruise (6 hr): 4,590 W → 27.5 kWh | Station-keeping (12 hr): 2,170 W → 26.0 kWh | Sleep (6 hr): 1,200 W → 7.2 kWh
Daily total: ~60.7 kWh | Peak transient: 8,890 W

Battery System — LFP by Design

NMC/NCA chemistries were explicitly rejected. Thermal runaway at 140–170°C with violent oxygen release, fire, and HF gas is unsurvivable in a sealed 57 m³ cabin. LFP (LiFePO₄) is stable above 250°C with slow, self-limiting failure and no fire. The mass penalty — 700–860 kg pack vs. 450–550 kg for NMC — is accepted. The battery sits underfloor at 0.75–0.95 m height, pulling the CG low.

Pack Architecture

Four independent 25 kWh modules, each in a sealed stainless steel enclosure rated 2–5 bar burst. Dedicated vent line per module routes gas to hull exterior through burst disc + flame arrestor. Pyrotechnic + solid-state contactors for isolation. Ceramic fiber thermal barriers between modules. Any single module can be permanently disconnected — vehicle continues on 75% capacity.

Thermal Mgmt

Internal cold plates bonded to each cell stack → main thermal loop → SSSRA radiator. Heat generation 150–600 W normal ops. Heating during darkness via resistive mats (200–400 W total) + MLI insulation + variable-conductance cabin coupling. Operating range: charge 5–40°C, discharge −10–55°C.

05 — Suspension & Drivetrain

6×6 All-Wheel Drive & Steer

Six independently driven and steered wheels on three axles. No driveshafts, no differentials, no transfer cases. In-hub motors with harmonic drive reduction eliminate mechanical complexity and dust-exposed mechanisms.

1.0 m

Wheel Diameter

Ni-Ti superelastic spring + SS mesh

~6 kPa

Ground Pressure

Target ≤7 kPa for south pole regolith

750 W

Motor (continuous)

Per wheel / 4,500 W system total

500 mm

Suspension Travel

±250 mm jounce/rebound

~6 m

Turn Radius

Front/rear counter-phase steering

25 km/h

Sprint Speed

Short duration, firm terrain

Suspension

Semi-active double-wishbone at all six stations. Titanium control arms, Ni-Ti superelastic coil springs (fatigue-immune across −170°C to +120°C), and electromechanical ball-screw dampers providing passive damping (back-EMF), semi-active rate control, and active ride-height adjustment (±100 mm). No fluids anywhere. Spring rate tuned to ~1.1 Hz ride frequency (lunar gravity corrected) for automobile-like crew comfort. Electronic anti-roll via differential damper control. Active cabin leveling on cross-slopes up to ±10°.

Traction Control

Six independent motors enable per-wheel torque vectoring, slip detection and limiting (5–25% threshold by mode), electronic stability control, and regenerative ABS. Terrain modes: Highway (5% slip, equal torque), Off-Road (15% slip, adaptive), Rock Crawl (25% slip, per-wheel override), Emergency (all limits relaxed). The real constraint is traction: at 5,400 kg on the Moon, max traction is ~4,374 N — a 10° climb demands 4,017 N (92% of limit). Slopes above 12–15° on loose regolith are traction-limited, not motor-limited.

Dust Protection at Hub: Multi-stage seal — labyrinth (outer, centrifugal ejection) → magnetic particle trap (rare-earth, captures ferromagnetic fraction) → PTFE lip seal on Ti wear sleeve (replaceable at turnaround) → optional N₂ purge (~0.1–0.2 g/hr per wheel, 0.5–1.1 kg total / 60 days)

06 — Safety Architecture

Four-Tier Battery Safety

Defense-in-depth for the most energetic system on a crewed pressurized vehicle. Every tier is independent — each layer assumes the previous has failed.

Cell-Level Prevention

LFP inherent stability (olivine cathode stable >250°C, no oxygen release). CID disconnects on overpressure. PTC limits current >80–90°C. Ceramic-coated separator maintains integrity beyond polymer melt point.

Module-Level Isolation

Sealed enclosure contains worst-case multi-cell vent (2–5 bar). Dedicated vent line to hull exterior — not cabin. Ceramic fiber thermal barriers limit adjacent module surface to <60°C during 200°C transient. Pyrotechnic contactor for permanent irreversible disconnect.

System-Level Detection

BMS monitors every cell at 1 Hz normal / 10 Hz anomaly. Graduated response: Advisory (log + monitor) → Caution (reduce rate, alert crew) → Warning (disconnect module, close thermal valves) → Emergency (fire pyro, auto-vent, isolate bay, master alarm).

Cabin Atmosphere Protection

ECLSS gas sensors (CO, HF, electrolyte vapor, H₂). Battery bays under negative pressure during vent. Fixed fire suppression (Novec 1230 clean agent). Crew SCBA at forward/aft stations, 30-second donning time.

Water & Consumables

Water: 3.2 kg/person/day gross (drinking 2.0 + food rehydration 0.5 + hygiene 0.5 + medical 0.2)
Recovery rate 85% → net 0.48 kg/person/day → ~86 kg makeup for 60-day, 3-crew mission
Vehicle carries ~200 kg at mission start (initial fill + margin)

Food: 1.8 kg/person/day × 3 crew × 60 days = 324 kg (freeze-dried + thermostabilized, 16-day rotation)
O₂: 0.84 kg/person/day × 3 × 60 = ~151 kg | N₂ makeup: ~0.6–1.2 kg total

07 — Mission Roles

Surface Lifecycle Platform

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Water & Resource Prospecting

Carry sensors, drills, and ISRU payloads. Cargo module hauls processing equipment to sites identified by WOK prospecting rovers.

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Construction & Logistics

Haul equipment, deploy robotics, serve as mobile command post. Train-style module configuration allows mission-specific arrangements.

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Long-Range Transport

Move crews safely between outposts, sites, domes, and landers. Passenger module extends capacity to 24 crew for base transfers.

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Science & Exploration

Pressurized visibility modules optional. Science bench with sealed glove box for regolith sample handling without cabin contamination.

Module Train Configuration:
Command Module (~10 m) + Passenger Module (~24 m, up to 24 crew) + Cargo Module (12–24 m) + Systems Module (~6 m)
All modules share standardized mechanical, electrical, and data interfaces