The first lunar rover used by Apollo astronauts in the 1970s was built as a dune buggy to ride over the moon's rocky terrain as astronauts carried out various experiments.The next generation of rover, however, is going the route of the subcom-pact. When Pennsylvania-based aerospace company Astrobotic launches its moon lander in the next decade, it will include a four-wheeled robot no bigger than a toaster. The device, built by Carnegie Mellon University, will help test just how small rovers can get and still survive on the lunar surface.NASA has selected three commercial companies to send the first round of robotic landers to the moon, expected 2020 and 2021. NASA awarded Astrobotic a contract of $79.5 million to carry up to 14 NASA-sponsored payloads on its Peregrine lander. Peregrine will include other payloads from commercial companies, research organizations and space agencies, including rovers from Japan and Mexico, all on a lander just a little over 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide. With space at a premium, a tiny rover was a priority.
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