B-9 had Will Robinson. Twiki had Buck Rogers. And, of course, C-3PO and R2-D2 had Luke Skywalker. Now, in a scenario straight out of science fiction, MAPP will have whoever NASA names to the crew of the second Artemis mission to land on the moon.

The space agency has selected Lunar Outpost’s Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform, or MAPP, to become the first robotic rover to operate on the moon alongside astronauts. Although its tasks will be far simpler than those of the robots seen on TV and in the movies, the autonomous four-wheeled MAPP will help scientists learn more about the crew’s surroundings. Science instruments on the rover will characterize the surface plasma and behavior of the dust in the lunar environment.

“The Apollo era taught us that the further humanity is from Earth, the more dependent we are on science to protect and sustain human life on other planets,” said Nicky Fox, NASA’s associate administrator for science, in a statement. “By deploying these… science instruments on the lunar surface, our proving ground, NASA is leading the world in the creation of humanity’s interplanetary survival guide to ensure the health and safety of our spacecraft and human explorers as we begin our epic journey back to the Moon.”

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The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced in a press release on November 26 that it successfully used a water propellent system to drive its "EQUULEUS" CubeSat. The craft was launched by NASA's Artemis I on November 16.

EQUULEUS has a water propellant engine named AQUARIUS (AQUA ResIstojet propUlsion System) that uses heat from communications equipment to turn water into steam, which can be jetted out to generate thrust.

Why Use Water as Fuel?

Water is a better choice than other fuels for use in small, cheap satellites because it is easier to store and handle.

EQUULEUS Flight Path

Artemis I injected the spacecraft into a lunar flyby trajectory. Then EQUULEUS fired its steam engines and started its journey to the second Moon Lagrange point (EML2), and it should take a year and a half to reach EML2.

"I am proud of the EQUULEUS operation team, who were able to immediately complete the orbital control necessary for the lunar fly-by, just one day after the checkout operation shortly after launch. This was a difficult operation that had to be successful. I feel we were able to succeed in this critical operation due to their careful preparation, including numerous back-up plans, and the ability to respond flexibly through training. We are now at the start line of the long voyage to the Lagrange point," said FUNASE Ryu, an associate professor at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the University of Tokyo, Japan.

If you want to know more about EQUULEUS and how it works, read Development of the Water Resistojet Propulsion System for Deep Space Exploration by the CubeSat: EQUULEUS.