Omega Envoy is now entering its communications test phase. On Saturday June 27th Omega Envoy sent its Rover 2.0, a test platform for communication and control equipment, to Devon Island to test it under one of the most realistic lunar environments the Earth can offer. Devon Island is only 700 miles from the arctic and is the largest uninhabited island on the earth., and for good reason, the average temperature is a frigid -4 degrees Fahrenheit! With such a harsh environment it is safe to say that if Rover 2.0 can run here we are one step closer to being able to run on the moon. The main purpose of this test is to demonstrate how we will communicate with the rover on Devon Island from mission control in Orlando, Fl, which is more than 3000 miles away. Also a series of missions will be executed to test the capabilities of the rover, such as climbing rocks, climbing steep inclines, and taking video of the surrounding area. All while satisfying the Google Lunar X PRIZE requirements. Perhaps one of the most novel missions for the expedition is that the rover will be used as a sort of surveillance for the Mars habitat team. It will continuously be surveying the area and in the case of polar bears in proximity can warn the HAB team not to go outside. Polar bears have been known to attack, and even eat humans, so this will serve as a welcome safety precaution to all the HAB inhabitants.This demonstration will prove a useful role for robotic explorers during manned missions to the Moon or Mars. While we certainly don't expect to find polar bears on the moon, we can easily vision a need for the assistance of a rover to aid in normal crew activities. The rover will also give mission control a more controllable view of the crews activities. You can follow the progress of the Rover 2.0 on the Omega Envoy website where a live feed will be broadcast from mission control as we control the rover across the arctic landscape as well as up to date blogs from the Rover 2.0. Continuous updates on the expedition can also be tracked via twitter @oe_rover and @OmegaEnvoy. And, in case you are sick of seeing us call our rover "Rover 2.0 (like we are!) make sure to submit a name to the Omega Envoy Rover Naming Contest on Youtube for a chance to have your name engraved on the rover when it goes to the moon.