NASA HERC 2025 ROVER PROJECT 

Currently AAMU is working on the HERC Rover 2025. The theme this year is: You have been selected as part of the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative to design, build, and pilot a remote-controlled vehicle to be launched on an upcoming mission. NASA has designated four core mission tasks, of which you will select two, to be performed by your rover. While Command and Control will be handled on Earth, some complex tasks may be automated to ensure success. Space is limited on the lunar lander, so be sure your vehicle fts the mission specifications. Each team member was given different task that is part of the project.

Here is the listed task:

TASK SITE A: Optical Spectrometry Rovers will use an optical spectrometer to scan two samples and collect data to differentiate them. Spectrometry is essential to finding water on the lunar surface and has been used extensively on Mars rovers. While nearly all Artemis generation rovers use spectrometry, this task is inspired by the VIPER rover which carries 3 spectrometers and will be the first lunar rover to have headlights. 27 HERC@mail.nasa.gov 2025 HERC Handbook Samples will be liquids and will be located within a 4 × 4 ft. marked square. Two sets of samples will be accessible to scan: The first pair will be a surface sample. Two 3.5 in. diameter tubes will be buried flush with the ground and the liquid samples will be within 1 in. of surface level. The second pair of samples will be raised samples in clear glass containers at least 12 in. high and no thicker than 4 in. (excluding the glass). Team members are allowed to operate any light source they choose on the other side of the sample from the rover. One of the sample containers will contain water. Teams must determine, using data gathered by the spectrometer alone, which container has water.

TASK SITE B: Terrain Mapping Rovers will use an Infrared (IR) or laser rangefinder to determine the distances of two semi-distant objects. This task is inspired by the Lunar Trailblazer orbiter which will use various technologies to map the surface of the moon. Sample objects will be between 5 and 20 ft. away. Sample objects will be at least 2 ft. tall and 1 ft. wide. Sample objects will not be polished or glossy surfaces.

TASK SITE C: Sample Drilling Rovers will use a sample collection tool to collect and store two ground samples without cross contamination. Option for mechanical or autonomous completion. This task is inspired by the Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment 1 (PRIME-1) mission which will give invaluable information on potential landing sites and resources for future Artemis missions. Samples will be dyed sand in two separate piles within a 4x4ft marked square. Sample piles will be between 2 – 4 in. deep. Sample piles will be approximately 12 in. diameter circles.

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