Lunar Ice Discovery Initiative

Disambiguation: For the Astrobotic Technology Icebreaker mission please visit this link

The Icebreaker Lunar Ice Discovery Initiative intends to conduct a robotic ground investigation of the southern polar region of the Moon. Searching for water ice and performing geological studies of the lunar south pole that will provide essential information on the presence and distribution of resources necessary to support human habitation and a base for deep-space missions (such as water, fuel and propellant components, and potential construction materials) as well as for fundamental scientific investigation. Icebreaker proposes an academic, commercial and government partnership, to create economical, multi-dimensional missions. to the Moon’s surface.

Icebreaker is a prototype rover to evaluate performance and demonstrate mobility for planetary exploration. Icebreaker is designed to operate on extreme slopes by utilizing plowing, a novel technique to utilize subsurface soil strength. This allows icebreaker to operate at steep angle-of-repose slopes on unconsolidated material with minimal slip.