Nissan releases the Navara Dark Sky Concept – a pick-up truck that doubles up as a world-class space observatory
Built in partnership with the European Space Agency, this unique pick-up truck tows a powerful space telescope which is able to see beyond the rings of Saturn
NISSAN has transformed a pick-up truck into a world class mobile space observatory.
The manufacturer's Navara Dark Sky Concept adds a unique spin to their popular utility vehicle, allowing astronomers to view the universe from hard-to-reach locations.
Unveiled at the Hannover Motor Show in Germany, the concept car tows a bespoke trailer which contains a world-leading telescope.
It's powerful enough to give detailed views beyond the rings of Saturn, and lets experts spot distant galaxies, nebulae and supernovas.
The trailer module has a special refrigerated atmosphere, which allows the telescope to remain calibrated at the right temperature while in transit.
Once the car has arrived at its destination, the trailer's mechanised roof opens to focus the telescope on the night sky.
The one-off Nissan has been developed in the UK in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA).
Fitted with four-wheel drive, 20-inch wheels with off-road tyres and high-intensity headlights, the Nissan is able to navigate even the most difficult terrain.
And under the bonnet is a 2.3-litre twin-turbocharged diesel, giving the truck plenty of pulling power to handle the trailer's additional weight.
The concept comes with a range of high-tech features including wifi, a laptop station and UHF radio transmission to relay data instantly around the world.
Nissan has also made it easier to park with the trailer by adding cameras to give the driver a bird’s-eye-view around the vehicle.
There are eight radar units which update the driver on the vehicle's surroundings through the touch screen on the dashboard.
And since red light affects human night vision least, both the vehicle and trailer exclusively use red lighting to avoid visual disruption during observations.
Fred Jansen, ESA’s senior mission manager for Gaia, said: "The Nissan Navara Dark Sky Concept allows observations to take place in very remote places, avoiding light pollution, while also transporting telescopes safely and easily.
"Telescopes like the one in the trailer are needed in studies of planets and stars in our galaxy, allowing Earth-based follow-up campaigns enabled by the Gaia data."
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Ashwani Gupta, senior vice president of Nissan’s light commercial vehicle business, said: "The Nissan Navara Dark Sky Concept is a brilliant example of Nissan serving as an authentic partner, empowering our customers to go anywhere.
"Through Nissan Intelligent Mobility and ProPILOT, we are creating the best solutions for the next frontiers of business, no matter how complex the commercial need."
Nissan plans to work with ESA to donate the telescope as part of their educational outreach initiatives following the Hannover Motor Show.