Automotive

Nissan's rugged truck/trailer concept tows high-powered telescope in search of dark skies

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The enhanced sensor set helps the Navara driver find the best spot for setting the trailer up
Nissan
Nissan finds light in the dark with the Navara Dark Sky Concept
Nissan
The main purpose of the Dark Sky is to transport the PlaneWave telescope to dark spaces, free of light pollution
Nissan
The red lights not only look cool, they help to cut down on light interference when at the observation site
Nissan
Nissan developed the Dark Sky in the UK in collaboration with ESA
Nissan
Both the Navara and trailer wear off-road tires, helping them navigate rough ground to get to distant dark sky places
Nissan
Nissan has upgraded the pickup bed with a heavy-duty polymer liner and docks for spare battery packs, among other things
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An enhanced Intelligent Mobility suite helps Dark Sky drivers get the trailer hitched, transported and set up
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A subtle winch integrated into the beefed up chin guard
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The Navara Dark Sky Concept wears a cosmic-inspired paint job
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A remote control opens the trailer and lowers the stabilizer legs
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Getting ready to deploy the telescope and get to work observing that star-filled sky
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Nissan Navara Dark Sky sketch
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Even without the telescope, that's one cool trailer. It features a dual-axle design, steel chassis and laminated carbon fiber body
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Nissan has tuned its blind spot and bird's eye monitoring systems to work seamlessly with the trailer
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Nissan Dark Sky sketch
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The Navara includes upgrades like the reinforced front end design, modified side step and integrated roof lighting
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Inside, Nissan blends the dark sky look with some "setting sun" orange
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That's one mean Navara, ready to blaze a trail to the best night sky observation points
Nissan
Nissan revealed the Dark Sky concept at the IAA Commercial Vehicle show on Wednesday
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Red lights deliver some illumination without interfering with observation
Nissan
The enhanced sensor set helps the Navara driver find the best spot for setting the trailer up
Nissan
Inside the Nissan Navara Dark Sky concept
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An enhanced ProPilot helps the driver tow the trailer safely to its destination
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Nissan Navara Dark Sky
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Nissan Navara Dark Sky
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The Dark Sky includes integrated communications
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A peek at the driver's seat
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The Navara rolls on 20-in wheels with off-road tires, while the trailer rolls on 16-in wheels
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Lash points at the wheel arches add versatility
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The Dark Sky Concept at work
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Earlier this week, Nissan teased a Navara pickup concept with trailer in tow. The heavily cropped image led us to believe that Nissan Europe was following the lead of Nissan USA in showing a rugged, new overlanding or lifestyle sports concept. But, not so. The all-new Navara Dark Sky Concept is indeed a ruggedized pickup pulling a heavy-duty off-road trailer, but it's not going fishing or camping – it's there to take astronomers deep into the wilds, far away from the light pollution of civilization. It's essentially a tough, no-nonsense observatory on wheels.

Nissan developed the Dark Sky Concept in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and revealed it on Wednesday at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hannover. The most critical component is the off-road trailer behind the Navara pickup, a bespoke, steel-frame build that carries a high-powered PlaneWave telescope inside. That telescope zooms in beyond the rings of Saturn, showing distant galaxies, nebulae and supernovae.

Even without the telescope, that's one cool trailer. It features a dual-axle design, steel chassis and laminated carbon fiber body
Nissan

During the ride, the specially refrigerated trailer interior keeps the telescope at optimal temperature, ensuring it's stable and calibrated on arrival. A reflective lining inside the carbon fiber laminate body helps in keeping things cool.

After rumbling over pavement, dirt, gravel, mud, ice and whatever else is in its way, the dual-axle trailer's mechanized body shell splits open and stabilizer legs drop down so the telescope can be raised and focused on the clear, clean sky above. The remote control-operated trailer comes powered by Nissan Leaf-derived battery packs.

The main purpose of the Dark Sky is to transport the PlaneWave telescope to dark spaces, free of light pollution
Nissan

The second puzzle piece of this concept, the Navara pickup, stands as burly and ready to go as the trailer. It's been lifted for added ground clearance and equipped with enhancements like the beefed-up front bumper, winch, roll bars, 20-in wheels with off-road tires, and high-intensity roof light bar. The 2.3-liter twin-turbo diesel engine puts out 187 hp (139 kW) and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque. The truck bed includes a dock for a pair of spare battery packs, offering charging when the engine is running.

The Dark Sky Navara's dual-tone paint job represents nebulae across the pitch black night sky. The red lights provide the perfect visual accent for that paint, but they also enjoy a more critical role in the build – red light affects human vision less than other light, so the truck and trailer use it at the destination to ensure minimal disruption of the dark skies they're purpose-designed to access.

Both the Navara and trailer wear off-road tires, helping them navigate rough ground to get to distant dark sky places
Nissan

The idea of the Dark Sky concept is to work as a capable, go-anywhere observatory that can reach remote dark sky locations – areas far away from the light pollution of cities and other population centers. Once there, astronomers can pop out the PlaneWave and observe the sky under the most ideal conditions.

Specifically, the Dark Sky Navara was imagined as a support vehicle for ESA's Gaia project. The Gaia satellite has been working to map out billions of stars, and ESA team members need to make follow-up observations from the ground. The Dark Sky makes it happen.

"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," explains Dr. Fred Jansen, ESA's senior mission manager for Gaia. "The Navara Dark Sky Concept allows observations to take place in very remote places, avoiding light pollution, while also transporting telescopes safely and easily."

The Dark Sky Concept at work
Nissan

I'm no professional astronomer, but the Dark Sky resonates with me more than the average concept car. I camp regularly in and around the international dark-sky places in Southern Utah and often enjoy views not only of the explosion of stars but also phenomena like shooting stars and meteor showers.

I've been planning to purchase a portable telescope to take further advantage of the viewing opportunities in places like Capitol Reef and Canyonlands national parks, and an off-road trailer with neatly integrated professional-grade telescope takes that idea to the next level – or a few levels beyond.

I'd personally love to see a slide-out stove in back, roof-top tent on top and water jug in the pickup bed – refrigeration is already covered. Nissan might not do that, but it does mention that the Navara roof is ready to carry the gear necessary for overnight stays.

The Dark Sky concept also highlights how Nissan's Intelligent Mobility technology could be more finely honed for trailer towing. The truck is upgraded with additional sensors and an enhanced version of Nissan's ProPilot automated driving suite that includes the intelligent towing hitch alignment system, which can take over steering, acceleration, braking and shifting for precise alignment between hitch and hitch receiver.

During the ride, the intelligent cruise control and steering assist help maintain a safe distance while keeping the truck and trailer centered in their lane, even through curves. Meanwhile, the blind spot warning and intelligent around-view monitor systems have been adjusted to account for the 13-ft (4-m) trailer.

Lash points at the wheel arches add versatility
Nissan

Upon arrival, the Navara's intelligent radars and camera sensors scan the terrain to identify the best location to park and stabilize the trailer, ensuring that the observation mission gets off on solid footing.

"Using Nissan Intelligent Mobility technologies, we wanted to construct the most advanced and capable pickup to meet [towers'] needs," says Paolo D'Ettore, head of Nissan Europe's light commercial vehicle business unit. "The result is the Nissan Navara Dark Sky concept, and in future we intend to make towing a simpler and more confident activity for all our customers."

Learn more about the design process and get a look at the Dark Sky Concept in action in the video clip below.

Source: Nissan Europe

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2 comments
notarichman
In washington state, slate peak to the NW of Mazama is the best place for viewing. In Idaho -- almost anywhere high!!
Rustin Lee Haase
Boy I hope they thought to reprogram the pickup's light control system. All modern vehicles light up the night if you open a door to get something out. It's a great way to ruin your night vision and become very unpopular at star parties.