NASA has awarded contracts to three companies for the design of a lunar terrain vehicle that will transport astronauts around the Moon during the Artemis missions. Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab have been selected to develop a vehicle that will be operational by 2030 for the Artemis V crew.
The companies will conduct a year-long feasibility study to meet NASA’s requirements for the vehicle. Intuitive Machines received a $30 million contract for the assessment, with the total value of the contract program reaching $4.6 billion. The selected company will also conduct a demonstration mission to validate the vehicle’s performance and safety.
The lunar terrain vehicle must withstand extreme cold temperatures, include a robotic arm, have semi-autonomous driving capabilities, and accommodate two astronauts. Intuitive Machines’ RACER, Venturi Astrolab’s FLEX rover, and Lunar Outpost’s reconfigurable cargo bed design have been released to the public.
Once the vehicle is not in use by NASA, the winning company will have the opportunity to deploy it commercially on the moon. This marks the first time in over five decades that U.S. astronauts will be on the moon, with the last crewed mission being in 1969 and watched by 650 million people worldwide.
The development of the lunar terrain vehicle is a crucial step in NASA’s plans to return humans to the Moon and eventually send astronauts to Mars. Stay tuned for further updates on this exciting mission.
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