Design and implementation of Chang’E-3 rover location system

Lunar surface is a dusty world without Earths atmospheric pressure, with huge range of temperature varying, with only 1/6 of Earths gravity, and with fine electrostatically charged dust. ChangE-3 rover location system has to cruise in that harsh environment carrying multiple payloads. The requirements and working principles of ChangE-3 rover location system were clarified, and the key points of embodiment design of driving mechanism, differential mechanism, wheel and seal were detailed. A digital model of the location system is created and optimized by numerical simulations of statics, kinetics and thermodynamics. Hundreds of tests of the location system and its assemblies are performed in simulated lunar environments on the ground to evaluate its feasibility and reliability, such as test of climbing slope, test of climbing obstacle, and test of dust preventing and mitigating, et al. Since ChangE-3 rover moved on to the lunar surface in December 15, 2013, it has survived for 2 sidereal months in the harsh environment, and run for more than 100 meters.