Lunar Rover Traverse Planner

Build an educational surface traverse and see how route length, average speed, terrain, power draw and battery reserve interact. This is not real mission navigation; it is a systems-planning model.

Why route distance alone is misleading

A 10-kilometre traverse is not one fixed energy problem. Rough terrain can reduce speed and increase power demand. Science stops consume time and energy. A mission also needs enough reserve to handle detours, navigation uncertainty or a slower-than-planned return.

Why Apollo rover operations were conservative

Apollo surface traverses were planned around life-support, navigation and walk-back constraints, not simply vehicle range. Future robotic and crewed rovers will face different technologies but the same principle: mobility is useful only when the vehicle can return or reach a safe state with margin remaining.