Australia · Commercialisation
How Australia’s Roo-ver moved from rival concepts to testing
Two Australian teams developed early lunar rover concepts before ELO₂ was selected to build Roo-ver. The rover entered mobility testing in 2026, ahead of a planned lunar delivery by Intuitive Machines in 2030.
Sources checked
- Early concept phaseTwo consortia develop concepts
AROSE and ELO₂ Source 1
- Development awardELO₂ selected to build and operate Roo-ver
Australian Space Agency reports AUD 42 million investment Source 2
- 28 March 2026Lunar delivery announced
NASA selects Intuitive Machines for the planned delivery Source 3
- 13 August 2026Mobility testing reported
Two-week campaign at Adelaide University’s EXTERRES CRATER facility Source 3
- 7 October 2026Next model unveiled
Australian Space Agency unveils the next version of the rover Source 4
- 2030 targetLunar surface delivery
South Pole region, under NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services Source 1
Use Find an event and Go to event to move between the selection, tests and planned delivery.
Two concepts preceded the development award
The Australian Space Agency names AROSE and ELO₂ as the two consortia that developed early concepts. It chose ELO₂ to build and operate the rover and identifies an AUD 42 million investment. The initial competition and later award address different stages of developing a vehicle for flight. Source 1 Source 2
The Adelaide tests evaluated movement in a simulated setting
The agency’s August 2026 update describes a two-week mobility campaign at Adelaide University. The tests examined how the prototype moved across simulated lunar ground and were intended to inform the design. The October unveiling shows a later model in the continuing development programme. Source 3 Source 4
The rover and its scientific payload come from different partners
The Australian consortium is developing the vehicle. NASA is providing a scientific instrument for analysing lunar material, and its engineers joined integration work in Brisbane. The project therefore has separate work on the vehicle, instrument and their integration. Source 3 Source 1
A commercial lunar mission provides the delivery
The agency identifies Intuitive Machines as the selected provider for delivery to the Moon’s South Pole region in 2030 under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services. The destination and year are the published plan. The programme still has to complete development and mission preparation before delivery. Source 1 Source 3