Prototype now being tried in Texas

MOSES LAKE - If you see spacesuit-clad people near the Grant County ORV Park in June, you're not witnessing a mirage.

It's NASA testing a prototype of a one-ton lunar truck called the Chariot. NASA is preparing to send astronauts to the moon by 2020 to build a lunar outpost.

A dry run of the Chariot is being conducted this week at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, an area that isn't considered as harsh of an environment as Moses Lake, said Lucien Junkin, a robotics engineer and the design lead with the Johnson Space Center.

NASA expects to start its work at the ORV park on June 2 or June 3 and finish about 12 days later, Junkin said.

The crew will try to start work at the park each day between 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. The work should conclude about 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. daily, he said.

Grant County Chief Deputy Courtney Conklin said on Wednesday the testing will be done near Lot 1 of the ORV park.

Some of NASA's equipment will start arriving in Moses Lake on May 31, he said.

NASA apparently scouted several areas nationwide before deciding on Moses Lake, Conklin said.

Moses Lake was finally selected as a testing site because of the room it offered, Junkin said. The sandy surface in Grant County is somewhat like the lunar surface, he added.

"We just want to stress that hey, this is America's vehicle," Junkin said. "We thank everyone in Moses Lake. They need to come out and see what we're doing and ask questions."

A NASA crew will be testing vehicle and suited operations at the ORV park, meaning space suited crew members will be walking around conducting mock science experiments.

They will also run tests on leveling ground with the Chariot, which will have a bulldozer blade attached to it, he said.

Once on the moon, the surface will likely be leveled for roads and landing pads during the construction of a lunar outpost, Junkin said.

NASA plans to carry out research and "prepare for other journeys to more distant destinations," at the lunar outpost, according to a NASA news release.

The Chariot can carry two suited astronauts which weigh about 500 pounds apiece and withstand an additional 1,000 pounds of payload capacity, he said.

Overall, the Chariot is designed to withstand the weight of four suited astronauts.

The Chariot will operate in three different configurations, manned, remote control (from Moses Lake), and from Houston, he said. When operated from Houston, there will be a time delay involved that's similar to what's done in space, he said.

Ten NASA centers will be involved with the work in Moses Lake either by contributing staff, hardware or software, he said.