NanoKhod Exploration Rover - A Rugged Rover Suited for Small, Low-Cost, Planetary Lander Mission

The European Space Agency (ESA) is currently concluding a dedicated technology development to mature and finalize the Nanokhod microrover into a complete engineering model with integrated geochemical payload package. The goal of this development is to build and test the Nanokhod such that it can serve a wide range of mission applications in the future. The rover will be able to deliver scientific payloads to not only atmospheric planets such as Mars but also environmentally more extreme nonatmospheric celestial bodies such as Mercury or the Moon. The Nanokhod rover is a payload-efficient system that can be used to send a maximum amount of scientific payload to a planetary surface with the minimum rover mass. The high payload to total mass ratio of about 0.27 can enable low-cost planetary surface exploration missions where total available mass and power is extremely restricted.