A Roo on the Moon. 

The votes are in! Roo-ver is the name of Australia’s rover that will head to the Moon with NASA in a future Artemis mission.

As part of a two-phase nationwide competition, which entailed 8,000 name entries and nearly 20,000 public votes, Roo-ver was announced as the winner from the top four shortlist. With 35 per cent of the votes, voters felt Roo-ver reflected the Australian spirit.

The other three shortlisted names for the public to consider were Coolamon, Kakirra and Mateship.

An illustration of Australia's rover on the moon

What’s in the name?

Roo-ver was entered by Siwa from New South Wales who said:

“Our lunar rover deserves to be named after something iconically Australian, reflecting the Aussie spirit as we launch into this new endeavour. A kangaroo is part of the Australian Coat of Arms and it's time for Australian science to take the next leap all the way up into space.”

 

Space matters

Reflecting on the competition, Head of the Australian Space Agency Enrico Palermo found the high engagement from the Australian public a promising sign for the future.

“This competition has been an important way for us to bring the Australian people with us on what is our ‘boldest adventure yet’. With Roo-ver we can continue to inspire Australians by showing the boundary pushing work being done right here, and the ways that space benefits our everyday lives.

What is the lunar rover’s mission?

The Australian Space Agency, in partnership with NASA, is working with Australia’s space industry to design and build Australia’s first lunar rover, Roo-ver.

ELO2 is the industry consortium that will design and develop the fully realised rover for its mission to the Moon.  ELO2 is made up of start-ups, SMEs, major resources companies, universities and other research partners. 

Roo-ver will travel to the Moon with NASA as part of a future mission later this decade. Its primary role to collect lunar soil, known as regolith – a vital element to support a sustainable human presence on the Moon.

 

Note: This article was updated on 17 December 2024 after ELO2 was selected to design and build the nation’s first lunar rover for the Australian Space Agency. 
A lunar rover demonstrating its functions

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Meet Roo-ver

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