Extra-terrestrial SUV: NASA's Small Pressurized Rover

Currently undergoing feasibility trails in Arizona, the new Small Pressurized Rover (SPR) is a huge leap forward over the original open-air design from the Apollo programme. The SPR consists of a pressurized compartment which is placed on a modular chassis. This chassis is suspended on wheels that can turn independently through 360-degrees, allowing the SPR to move in any direction. The pressurized compartment contains a forward looking cockpit from which the astronauts can navigate the vehicle on the inhospitable lunar terrain, and also operate any mission-related instruments which can be attached to the rear of the chassis. Just behind the driver’s cabin is a side facing airlock, which can be used to dock with another SPR, the lunar lander of the living habitat NASA plans to construct on the moon.

What makes this multi-million dollar SUV really interesting is that it has 2 “suitports”, i.e. a place where astronauts can “dock” the next-generation NASA space suits, at the back of the vehicle. In a 10 minute procedure, the astronaut can climb into the space suit from inside the rover through this pressurized “suitport” and vice versa, without the suit ever being brought inside the cabin, thereby minimizing the amount of gas loss and dust that could enter the vehicle. This 3,000kg battery-powered behemoth can hit a top speed of 10 km/h and can allow astronauts operate away from the main base for up to two weeks, with a total range of a little over 1,000km.