Breadboarding the European Moon Rover System: discussion and results of the analogue field test campaign

Abstract-- This document compiles results obtained from the test campaign of the European Moon Rover System (EMRS) project. The test campaign, conducted at the Planetary Exploration Lab of DLR in Wessling, aimed to understand the scope of the EMRS breadboard design, its strengths, and the benefits of the modular design. The discussion of test results is based on rover traversal analyses, robustness assessments, wheel deflection analyses, and the overall transportation cost of the rover. This not only enables the comparison of locomotion modes on lunar regolith but also facilitates critical decisionmaking in the design of future lunar missions. I. INTRODUCTION Humanity has had its gaze set on the stars since an early age.