14 DAY TRIAL // NASA's new moon buggy prototype is scheduled to be the first ever lunar vehicle to have an inaugural parade before launch, and will attend president-elect Barack Obama's inaugural ceremony on January 20th, in Washington DC. The small pressurized rover, scheduled to be completed in approximately 12 years, will be driven by astronaut Michael Gernhardt, and will “walk” on its own 12 wheels, and not on the back of a carrier truck.
David Mould, the spokesman for the American space agency, said yesterday that NASA was proud to be able to send such a prototype to a presidential inauguration ceremony, mostly because other parades only saw ship crews and former astronauts in attendance.
Ashley Edwards, also a spokeswoman for the agency, announced that the rover would go on display the next day, so that the media could get a look at it. However, she pointed out that this model, which would parade the streets of Washington DC, was not the final version of the actual vehicle, but rather the leading contestant at this point.
The 12-wheeled model was selected to attend the ceremony because of the large successes it registered in October, when it managed to navigate intricate treks, especially designed in the Arizona desert just for it. During the tests, the rover averaged a speed of 6 mph, which is more than enough to carry astronauts on the lunar surface. Future versions will undoubtedly feature large speed capabilities.
It represents a huge step forward from the first buggies, and it does not feature an open-top construction. Its cabin is pressurized, which allows astronauts to move more freely inside, without being burdened by heavy spacesuits.
NASA will also be represented by Chris Ferguson, Eric Boe, Donald Petit, Steve Bowen, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Shane Kimbrough and Greg Chamitoff at the parade. They make up the crew of Endeavor and will march alongside the new rover, to honor the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States.