November 21, 2023
1 min read

Australians Given the Power to Name First Moon Rover

After being named, the rover will be sent to the moon under an agreement with NASA on one of its Artemis missions, which is aiming to launch in 2026 or 2027…reports Asian Lite News

 The Australian Space Agency (ASA) on Monday announced a shortlist of four names for the country’s first moon rover, which were chosen from over 8,000 submissions from the general public.

From Monday until December 1, Australians will be able to vote on whether the rover will be named Coolamon, Kakirra, Mateship or Roo-ver, with the winner to be announced on December 6, reports Xinhua news agency.

The candidates were chosen from the submissions by an ASA panel of judges based on relevancy, creativity and the rationale provided by the person who submitted them.

A coolamon is a vessel used by Indigenous Australians for gathering and carrying; Kakirra means “moon” in the language of the Kaurna Aboriginal people of South Australia (SA) — where the ASA is based; mateship is a cultural term in Australia for a national character trait of friendship; and roo-ver incorporates Australia’s iconic kangaroos.

After being named, the rover will be sent to the moon under an agreement with NASA on one of its Artemis missions, which is aiming to launch in 2026 or 2027.

Once on the moon, ASA head Enrico Palermo told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television that the rover would have an important mission.

“The rover will go to the surface of the moon on a NASA rocket and collect lunar soil and it will take it to a machine that will assess if we can extract oxygen,” he said.

“If we can have oxygen on the moon and we can start to develop that sustainable presence on the moon for humans.”

Its design will be chosen from two consortiums made up of Australian industries, space start-ups, universities and resource companies that were in March each awarded A$4 million ($2.6 million) in funding to develop their vehicles.

ALSO READ-China Partners with Pakistan and Belarus for Moon Base

Previous Story

Rajesh Agrawal to Represent Labour in Leicester East

Next Story

Turkish Cargo Ship ‘Kafkametler’ Sinks During Storm

Latest from -Top News

India-US Trade Deal Likely This Week

The interim trade deal would be an initial step towards a comprehensive bilateral free trade agreement between Indian and the US….reports Asian Lite News India is expected to finalise an interim trade

One Year Later, Hasina’s Son Raises Red Flag

Hasina’s abrupt exit last August after violent student protests was widely seen as a blow to democracy in the Muslim-majority nation of 170 million….reports Asian Lite News Sajeeb Wazed, son of former

Global South Finds Its Campus in India

The question is no longer if India can attract global talent, but whether it can build the conditions to do so at scale—with care and vision. Done right, India could emerge as

Jaishankar Gets Real on India-US Ties

The EAM underlined the structural drivers of the bilateral relationship, saying, “The trend line over the last 25 years has actually been very strong….reports Asian Lite News External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar

Polls Early Next Year, Yunus Tells US

The Chief Advisor invited Rubio to visit Bangladesh ahead of the general election to witness the country’s transition to democracy firsthand…reports Asian Lite News Bangladesh’s interim Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has urged
Go toTop