Australia plans lunar rover to help NASA find oxygen on moon

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia has agreed to build a 44-pound semi-autonomous lunar rover for NASA to take to the moon as early as 2026. The rover would collect soil that contains oxides and NASA would use separate equipment to extract oxygen from that soil. Oxygen extracted from the lunar surface would ultimately be used to sustain a human presence on the moon and support future missions to Mars. Australian Space Agency deputy head Anthony Murfett says NASA was impressed by technology used to remotely control from 1,000 miles huge dump trucks that transport iron ore from mines in northwest Australia. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson says the agreement would strengthen a relationship with Australia related to space exploration that dates back more than 50 years.