Lunar Dawn: Led by a company called Lunar Outpost, it includes principal partner Lockheed Martin and teammates General Motors, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, and MDA Space. The vehicle is being designed to not just survive but operate during the lunar night. It will also feature capabilities for robust and diverse commercial use, including a reconfigurable cargo bed that allows for the changing of payloads with a robotic arm.
Moon Racer: Led by Intuitive Machines, which recently made a soft landing on the Moon, the team’s strategic partners include AVL, Boeing, Michelin, and Northrop Grumman. The team plans to deploy the rover via the Nova-D lunar lander under development by Intuitive Machines. With its proven ability to deliver cargo to the Moon, the team plans to be able to replace tires and other components of the rover as needed over the 10-year lifespan on the Moon.
FLEX: Led by Astrolab, the team includes Axiom Space and Odyssey Space Research. FLEX can carry two suited astronauts, accommodate a robotic arm to support science exploration, perform robotic cargo logistics, and survive the extreme temperatures at the lunar South Pole. Founded by veterans of SpaceX, Astrolab is taking a hardware-rich approach to development of its rover, with ample testing of its vehicle early and often. An initial mission to the Moon is planned for 2026.
Lunar Outpost
Lunar Dawn, led by Lunar Outpost.
Lunar Outpost
Intuitive Machines
Moon Racer, led by Intuitive Machines.
Intuitive Machines
Astrolab
FLEX, led by Astrolab.
Astrolab
Moon Racer, led by Intuitive Machines.
Intuitive Machines
FLEX, led by Astrolab.
Astrolab
One of the notable things about the announcement this week is that it has brought a number of new players into spaceflight, such as Goodyear and Michelin. One goal of NASA as it returns to the Moon and attempts to establish a sustained presence there is to broaden the lunar economy and find additional customers. Bringing in established companies from other industries has the potential to spark new ideas and opportunities in the lunar environment.
“We’re able to bring in these non-traditional space companies,” said Justin Cyrus, chief executive of Lunar Outpost. “There’s also a new block of new space companies that are helping to drive value in the ecosystem.”
Now, the hard work begins.
