World's first micro lunar rover

TechFirst with John Koetsier

In January of this year, Peregrine Mission One launched with at least 22 payloads. One was intended to be the first American made rover to land on the moon since the Apollo days: 1972. It was called Iris, and it was also the first lunar rover constructed with carbon fiber. It was designed and built by students at Carnegie Mellon University. Today, we’re going to chat with them ... Despite a mission failure due to the lander experiencing a propellant leak and missing its lunar target, the Iris team achieved significant milestones. They successfully demonstrated that student-made rovers could survive space conditions, including the Van Allen Belt's radiation, and maintain communication and functions in space. This project, despite its setbacks, marks a significant achievement in democratizing space exploration and contributes to the broader vision of establishing moon bases and Mars bases as stepping stones for further space exploration. 00:00 The Future of Space Exploration: Moon and Mars Bases 00:42 Introducing can the Iris Lunar Rover Project 05:17 The Team Behind Iris: Roles and Experiences 09:00 Scientific Goals and Achievements of the Iris Rover 12:58 Overcoming Failure: Lessons from a Mission Gone Wrong 22:03 The Next Steps: Future Missions and Career Paths 25:59 Reflecting on the Golden Age of Space Exploration