Achi news desk-
NASA has given three space companies the chance to design a next-generation moon buggy – but only one design will go into space. Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab are developing rugged vehicles intended for astronauts to drive around on the lunar surface, which NASA may choose from as early as next year.
The three teams will now enter a 12-month “feasibility phase” which will lead to a preliminary design review. At that point, there will be a subsequent competitive request for proposals, where the trio of companies will compete for a demonstration task order, NASA officials explained during a press conference Wednesday.
At that point, a final referee will be selected. The chosen company will be responsible not only for designing the lunar terrane vehicle (LTV) but also for launching and landing it on the moon before the Artemis V mission, which is currently no earlier than 2029.
NASA declined to specify the dollar value of the awards, although Intuitive Machines said in a statement that it was awarded a $30 million contract. The total potential value of all task orders over the next 13 years is $4.6 billion.
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The three teams are also keeping specifications, such as range or battery technology, close to the chest, although NASA has indicated that the rover would have to have an incredible 10-year lifespan and be able to carry two suitable astronauts.
Intuitive Machines leads a team that includes AVL, Boeing, Michelin, and Northrop Grumman; Lunar Outpost leads the “Lunar Dawn” team that includes Lockheed Martin, General Motors, Goodyear and MDA Space. Astrolab is joined by Axiom Space and Odyssey Space Research.
NASA lunar lander. Image Credits: Intuitive machines
The awards are the latest to be presented to private industry under the agency’s ambitious Artemis programme, which aims to eventually establish a permanent human presence on the moon. But to really explore the surface, astronauts will need something to carry around – and they’ll need to withstand the harsh environment of the moon’s south pole, which is known for extreme temperature swings and very long nights.
“Think of it as a hybrid of an Apollo-style lunar rover that was driven by our astronauts and an unmanned mobile science platform,” said NASA Johnson Space Center director Vanessa Wyche.
With the vehicles, astronauts will be able to carry scientific equipment, collect samples from the surface and travel further than on foot, said Jacob Bleacher, NASA’s chief exploration scientist. When astronauts are not on the moon, humans will be able to remotely operate the LTV, so it can continue to explore the region and even meet new astronaut crews when they reach the surface.
“With NASA’s Artemis mission, we are building the capabilities needed to establish a longer-term lunar exploration and presence,” he said. “Where he will go, there are no roads. Its mobility will fundamentally change our view of the moon.”
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