VSAT Optimized for Lunar Traverse (VOLT) is Astrobotic’s rover designed to transport and deploy vertical solar arrays at the South Pole of the Moon. The vehicle underwent a series of tests at the Simulated Lunar Operations Laboratory (SLOPE) at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Technicians tested its capabilities in driving on the lunar surface, especially on various slopes.
Pictured here is VOLT (with it's little buddy CubeRover for scale😲) at @NASAglenn SLOPE lab where VOLT underwent testing to ensure it's ready for the unique challenges of the lunar surface. #VOLT #VSAT #Moon pic.twitter.com/HepNv9zXCX
— Astrobotic (@astrobotic) July 17, 2024
During the test sessions, VOLT could move and rest without slippage on slopes covered with regolith simulant and up to twenty degrees in inclination, surpassing the designed operational limit of fifteen degrees. It demonstrated a gimbal functionality capable of maintaining a level position within a 3-degree tolerance and supporting its future payload, a 60-foot vertical solar array.
“To supply continuous power at the poles of the Moon, we need to take advantage of existing peaks of persistent light: locations with near constant sunlight throughout the year. Since most of these locations are at crater rims with high slope angles, we designed VOLT to deploy on extreme slopes. These tests proved that our system can operate successfully, with plenty of margin for more extreme locations.”
-Robert Rolley, Astrobotic’s Principal Investigator for VOLT
LunaGrid: powering the future lunar surface missions
VOLT will transport and deploy the Vertical Solar Array Technology (VSAT), a 60-foot photovoltaic panel developed by Astrobotic in collaboration with NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. The VSAT technology is the basis of LunaGrid power service that the company wants to deliver on the lunar surface to any customer needing electricity, such as landers, rovers, astronaut habitats, and science suites.
Wireless chargers and tethered Astrobotic’s CubeRovers will be used to build the distribution grid, bringing the power generated by the VSAT arrays to the final users on the South Pole. Each VSAT will come equipped with transformers and power management systems necessary to expand power capabilities into a complete electricity grid.
A ride to the Moon on the Griffin lander
Astrobotics aims to send the first VSAT component of LunaGrid to the Moon’s south pole as early as 2026, on board one of the company’s medium-sized landers, Griffin. The success of this mission will then lead to an operational grid service by 2028.
However, Mission One of the Griffin lander has been delayed from November 2024 to late 2025, due to the problem that occurred on the maiden flight of the first Astrobotic lander, Peregrine. In addition, just a few days ago NASA canceled the main planned payload of Mission One, the lunar rover VIPER, due to delays and cost increases, leaving Griffin’s first flight to the Moon without a payload.
