Remote-control cars to race on the Moon in 2021

High school students around the world will race with their cars in the first-ever contest on the Moon in 2021: Moon car race.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will carry two race cars to the Moon next October, that are being designed by Frank Stephenson, McLaren P1 designer.

Two teams will be selected to the space race after an eight-weeks elimination, for which six teams of five members will compete to become the final two to participate in the competition.

The winning parties will work with Stephenson to build a vehicle that will race on the Moon, where gravity is weaker and surface is rugged. Designs will be completed in Houston, Texas.

Each car, that will be deployed via Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander, will weight 5.5lb (2.49 kilograms). US-based education company Moon Mark is sponsoring the project.

Credit: Moon Mark.

“We look forward to enabling racers on the Moon and being a part of the journey to bring space to the world,” said Justin Cyrus, CEO of Lunar Outpost, a private space firm that Moon Mark works with.

Referring to Lunar Outpost, Moon Mark’s CEO Mary Hagy said: “Their expertise in developing lunar rovers ensures that our racing teams will have the technical background to accomplish the mission and leave a scientific legacy after the checkered flag waves.”

A number of things including dust filtration, traction, weight, materials, durability and stability will have to be considered by the students.

An obstacle of the Moon car race

The low-gravity environment of the Moon brings about a major obstacle: flipping over. If the cars tumble, it is impossible to mend them. So the design needs to contain a feature to put the cars upright.

Built by Lunar Outpost, the racers will connect with the Intuitive Machines lander via WiFi.

Credit: Moon Mark.

Method of controlling the vehicles

The lander will send and receive telemetry, commands and controls to and from the Earth to drive the racers, according to Moon Mark CTO Todd Wallach.

Additionally, the lunar track itself will be designed by Hermann Tilke, the name behind Formula 1 circuits around the world. He designed many of the tracks, one of which is Intercity Istanbul Park.

The cost of the launch to Earth’s only natural satellite is expected to be about $10 million.

Russia, China and the US have made a soft landing on the surface of the Moon. India’s mission have failed.

The Moon has come to the fore because of China’s Chang’e 5 mission, the country’s first lunar sample return mission.

Bonus: Apollo 16 Lunar Rover “Grand Prix”