The Aegis-Class Rover is a pressurized, long-duration lunar surface mobility platform designed to support sustained operations at the lunar south pole and other high-value exploration sites. It combines extended-duration crew habitation (30–60 days), integrated power and thermal architecture optimized for low solar elevation, suitport-based dust boundary control, radiation storm shelter capability, and a NASA cFS-based flight software and crew operations console.
ASI develops the vehicle-defining systems: the pressurized crew module, the integrated power and thermal architecture (SSSRA), and the flight software and operations console. The mobility chassis is sourced rather than rebuilt — drawn from the maturing open-architecture lunar rover market — with ASI specifying the interface and integrating the platform.
The vehicle is architected as a surface infrastructure element, not a short-sortie exploration rover. It is intended to operate as part of a distributed logistics network including orbital habitats, surface outposts, LUNET utility nodes, and ISRU systems.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Nominal crew | 2–4 |
| Emergency crew | Up to 6 (short-duration) |
| Mission duration | 30–60 days |
| Range | ~100 km nominal; extended via LUNET recharge (energetic, not geometric) |
| Cruise speed | 10–15 km/h |
| Maximum speed | 25 km/h (terrain limited) |
The rover geometry is derived from a strict constraint chain, ensuring traceability from crew habitability to vehicle mass and stability:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Overall length | ~10.0 m |
| Overall width (with treads) | 4.6–4.8 m |
| Track width (center-to-center) | 4.0 m |
| Wheelbase | 6.5 m |
| Height to cabin roof | 3.45 m |
| Height to array top | 3.90 m |
| Ground clearance | ~0.50 m |
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| CG height | ~1.54 m above ground |
| Static Stability Factor (SSF) | 1.30 |
| NASA target (crewed) | ≥ 1.2 |
The 4.0 m track width provides margin for dynamic loads, slope traversal, and cargo asymmetry.
| Subsystem | Mass (kg) |
|---|---|
| Chassis, suspension, drivetrain | 1,200 |
| Pressure hull & structure | 1,000 |
| Underfloor systems (batteries, tanks) | 800 |
| ECLSS + interior equipment | 600 |
| Radiator assembly (6 m²) | 60 |
| Roof solar array (20 m²) | 110 |
| Deployable wing arrays (10 m²) | 75 |
| Fuel cell + reactants | 180 |
| Crew (3 × 80 kg) | 240 |
| Remaining systems + margin | ~1,135 |
| Gross vehicle mass | ~5,400 |
Chassis, suspension, and drivetrain mass is the platform partner's allocation against the integrated-vehicle budget.
The mobility chassis — suspension, drivetrain, wheels, and body structure — is sourced from a third-party platform partner drawn from the maturing open-architecture lunar rover market. ASI specifies the interface and integrates the platform; the reference configuration below states the operational envelope and interface requirements the crew module brings to any candidate platform. Specific chassis selection and final parameter values follow once a platform partnership is established around this envelope.
These figures represent design-baseline expectations consistent with currently demonstrated lunar mobility platforms and serve as the integration starting point for partner discussions.
The rover flight software is built on NASA's Core Flight System (cFS) — the same flight-heritage framework used across NASA missions. Mission-application source is identical across simulation, bench, and flight targets; only the hardware abstraction layer (HAL) changes between environments, so verification performed in simulation carries forward rather than being rebuilt for each phase.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| cFS applications | 16 (cFE core + 9 standard cFS + 7 Aegis mission apps) |
| FDIR safing modes | 5 — NOMINAL → THERM_SAFE → ECLSS_SAFE → LOADSHED → SHELTER |
| Navigation update rate | 20 Hz (aegis_nav navigation & odometry) |
| Telemetry protocol | CCSDS (standards-compliant) |
| Console link | WebSocket bridge (CCSDS-UDP ↔ browser) |
| Runtime | cFE — Core Flight Executive, NASA flight heritage |
The same flight software and console are designed to operate across whichever mobility chassis the crew module is paired with; the integration spine is consistent across platform partnerships.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Interior length | 8.0 m |
| Interior width | 3.4 m |
| Interior height | 2.1 m clear |
| Gross volume | ~57 m³ |
| Net habitable volume | ~38–42 m³ |
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total pressure | 55.2 kPa (8.0 psia) |
| O₂ partial pressure | 21.4 kPa |
| O₂ fraction | 38.7% |
| Temperature | 18–22°C |
| Relative humidity | 40–55% |
Reduced pressure lowers structural mass and reduces EVA prebreathe requirements.
| Category | Gross Demand (kg) |
|---|---|
| Drinking | 360 |
| Food rehydration | 90 |
| Hygiene | 90 |
| Medical / contingency | 36 |
| Total gross demand | 576 |
With 85% recovery, net makeup requirement ≈ 86 kg. Vehicle carries ~200 kg at mission start.
Fallback capability: traditional airlock mode.
Estimated severe SPE dose reduced from lethal exposure range to survivable emergency exposure range.
| Mode | Power |
|---|---|
| Cruise | ~4,590 W |
| Station-keeping | ~2,170 W |
| Peak | ~8,890 W |
| Source | Capability |
|---|---|
| Roof SSSRA array (20 m²) | ~724 W @ 6° sun |
| Deployable wing arrays (10 m² tilted) | ~3.5 kW combined |
| Fuel cell | 1–3 kW sustained |
| Battery storage | 40–60 kWh |
| Outpost recharge | LUNET node, logistics-based |
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Area | 6.0 m² |
| Operating temperature | 310 K |
| Degraded net rejection | ~255 W/m² |
| Peak rejection capacity | ~1,530 W |
The Aegis-Class Rover is designed to: