Sparky

Sparky, the state of the art lunar regolith excavator will be critical to the mission. The robot works in the "permanently shadowed regions'' so solar panels are mounted on the back for protection from the sun as well as energy absorption, and recharging once it returns to the drop off area. The panels use sustainable solar energy that can be harvested on the Moon. An antenna for communication along with a high definition camera attached to a robotic arm allows it to operate autonomously or via remote control. A vacuum from a front hatch gently excavates the regolith into the cargo bay. Two sets of 4 deep tread wheels on each side allow Sparky to move disturbing as little regolith as possible. To avoid the regolith dust from damaging/clogging the outer surface there is an extending arm that blasts air and cleans off the surface.