Australia's first Moon rover to be named Roo-ver

The name of Australia's first rover that will travel to the Moon has been announced after almost 20,000 Australians voted in a public competition.

The rover will be named Roo-ver, after attracting 35 percent of the votes in a shortlist of four contenders.

The other four shortlisted names were Coolamon, an Indigenous tool used for gathering; Kakirra, an Indigenous name for the Moon; and Mateship.

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Roo-ver is set to travel to the Moon as part of the Artemis mission with NASA as early as 2026.

The rover, which will weigh about 20kg and be the size of a check-in suitcase, will collect lunar soil from which scientists will attempt to extract oxygen.

Sourcing oxygen is seen as a key step in establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon.

Oxygen is a key element of rocket fuel. If rocket fuel can be produced on the Moon it would help support a future missions to Mars.

Australian Space Agency head Enrico Palermo said the high engagement from the Australian public was a promising sign for the future.

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"This competition has been an important way for us to bring the Australian people with us on what is our 'boldest adventure yet'," Palermo said. 

"With Roo-ver we can continue to inspire Australians by showing the boundary pushing work being done right here, and the ways that space benefits our everyday lives."

The name Roo-ver was entered by a New South Wales resident, Siwa. 

"Our lunar rover deserves to be named after something iconically Australian, reflecting the Aussie spirit as we launch into this new endeavour," Siwa said.

"A kangaroo is part of the Australian Coat of Arms and it's time for Australian science to take the next leap all the way up into space."