← All machines
Astronaut Max · photo pending manufacturer approval
Robotic barn · Fully autonomous

Astronaut Max

Lely · Netherlands

Centralised milking architecture for large herds (announced August 2025) — up to 18 Astronaut robots share one control room for vacuum, cleaning, cooling and long-distance milk transport.

Available in: Netherlands

At a glance

Best for

Dairy farms of 500–1,100 cows wanting robot milking without one full utility set per box.

Avoid if

Your herd fits conventional multi-robot rows — Max's value is centralisation at scale.

Not suitable for

Small and mid-size herds; anything outside barn dairying.

Specifications

Power sourceMains electric · centralised vacuum, cleaning and cooling units
Required tractor powerNot applicable
DimensionsCentral control room + in-barn robot boxes (layout-specific)
WeightFixed installation
Min farm size500 cows
ProductivityUp to 18 connected Astronaut robots · 500–1,100 cows
Max speedNot applicable
SensorsAstronaut robot sensor suite · centralised system monitoring
ConnectivityLely Horizon farm-management cloud
Compatible toolsCentral receiver, cleaning and redundant-vacuum units; filtered, cooled milk pumped over long distances
Configurations
Astronaut MaxCentral units + up to 18 robots

Price & ROI

Price (EUR)Not disclosed
Native priceNot disclosed
Price verifiedNot disclosed
Business modelPhased commercial rollout from 2026; validation farms since 2023–2024
Ongoing costService contract via Lely Center; consumables centralised
MaintenanceMilking continues during robot cleaning/service — redundant vacuum pumps
Payback modelAstronaut Max · Lely
No manufacturer payback figure is published for this machine. The model below uses only your inputs.
Your farm

Farm figures carry across machines; the per-machine rates reset when you open a different listing.

Your result · per year
Labour saved
Inputs saved
Total saved

Payback = machine price ÷ (labour + input savings per year). Every figure above is yours to change. FX is indicative.

Verified outcomes

Each result is a before-to-after figure with a time horizon and a cited source. Independently-verified results are marked separately from vendor-claimed ones.

No verified outcomes are on file for this machine yet. We publish figures only once a source is attached.

EU context

CE markingCE marking expected at commercial rollout; system in validation
EU Machinery RegulationTo conform with Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 at market placement
AI Act relevanceOut of high-risk scope; herd analytics only
CAP subsidyLivestock-modernisation schemes typically apply; confirm per member state at rollout

Get it

Verified EU dealers
Lely Center networkNL first; phased EU rollout from 2026
Request a quote →
Opens your email — we route requests to the verified dealer for this machine.

Quotes route only to dealers we have confirmed carry this machine in the EU.

Evidence

Sources

Specifications cross-checked against manufacturer documentation; listing last verified 2026-07-16.

Demo
Demo video on fileManufacturer-hosted · last checked 2026-07-16
Related machines