EXTERRES CRATER Facility

The EXTERRES Covered Regolith Analogue Terrain for Experimental Research (CRATER) will offer a large-scale enclosed space to simulate high-fidelity lunar and Martian environments.

Project detail

There is an increasing need for large-scale perception testing facilities for off-earth surface operations and the development of technologies for lunar missions. Certain elements are crucial for creating a realistic test environment and will feature in the new facility, including backing curtains with low reflectivity (used to prevent light from bouncing back into the testing area) and regolith simulants (similar to lunar soil).

Located at the Roseworthy campus, CRATER will complement the nearby EXTERRES Analogue Facility and support multiple research groups affiliated with the Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources. It will also accommodate future Australian Rover Challenge tasks and provide storage for materials and equipment used in both facilities, including simulants, rocks, field tools, and earth-handling equipment.

This is a high-priority project for the University, for South Australia, and Australia, linked to the time-sensitive NASA Artemis missions.

Expected completion is May 2025.

Project team

Gallery of facility visualisations