There are groundbreaking plans for Australia to send a semi-autonomous rover to the moon.

The Brisbane-based company, E-P-E Oceania, is co-leading the development of the rover alongside NASA and the Australian Space Agency.

The Head of Australia’s Space Agency Enrico Palermo told Peter Fegan on 4BC Breakfast, ‘today’s a historic step for the nation. We are one step closer to seeing a little Aussie rover on the surface of the moon and this is something that is truly inspiring the nation.’

‘Australia does have a long history in space, we’ve been working with NASA and the European Space Agency for more than half a century in supporting communications with other rovers and other probes that have gone out to the solar system,’ Palermo said.

‘But this is the first time Australia is going to develop its own machine, a robot, that will go to another surface of a body in our solar system and that’s a pivotal moment for the Australian space sector.’

‘This is a significant investment from the government and builds on the relationship with NASA and really it’s a vote of confidence for the space sector that has grown steadily over the last decade,’ Palermo continued.

Hear more highlights from Peter Fegan below:

Image: Brisbane Times

Download this podcast here