In a move reminiscent of a cosmic episode of “Pimp My Ride,” NASA has tapped three companies to design moon-ready vehicles that can withstand the rigors of space travel and the notoriously bumpy terrain of the lunar south pole. The contracts, which are technically in the form of task orders under the broader Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) Services program, were awarded to teams led by Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab. One can only assume heated cup holders and Bluetooth will come later.
Naturally, these are not your average Earth-bound golf carts. The LTV will need to endure extreme temperatures, communicate back to Earth without the benefit of roadside cell towers and survive repeated jaunts over a surface that is essentially the cosmic equivalent of a gravel pit. And all that while carrying astronauts who are apparently not content just being in space, but insist on driving around once they get there.
These space-age SUVs must be operational by 2028, when NASA plans to land astronauts via the Artemis program. Unlike the “get there just to plant a flag and look heroic” approach of 1969, Artemis aims for longer stays and more legitimate science. The rover will support both crewed and uncrewed missions, offering that ideal balance between Uber driver and lonely robot explorer.
The three selected industry teams have been given a one-year period to refine their designs and prove they can actually deliver something more than a flashy CGI video. Only one will ultimately be chosen to build the final LTV unit. NASA may be all about exploration but hoisting three rovers into space would be more excessive than the average tech entrepreneur’s car collection.
Each of the lead companies brings partners to the lunar party: Intuitive Machines joins forces with AVL, Boeing, Michelin and Northrop Grumman, while Lunar Outpost has slotted in Yamaha, Northrop Grumman again (someone clearly gets around), and tire giant Goodyear. Venturi Astrolab brings along Axiom Space and Odyssey Space Research, naturally leaving no buzzword unrepresented.
The rover will need to be controlled from Earth, operated by astronauts and have the ability to trundle around autonomously, presumably dodging moon rocks and any leftover Apollo snack wrappers. It must work day or night, which on the Moon last roughly two Earth weeks, and it needs to survive the sort of temperature swings that would make a Midwestern winter blush.
The chosen company will part with NASA not with a simple thank you card but a multi-billion dollar contract, the exact amount of which NASA has not spilled yet, though one suspects it will not be pocket change. The program is modeled after the successful commercial partnerships used for space station cargo and crew missions, presumably because if it works once, you might as well use it until someone asks questions.
So by 2028, if all goes to plan and no one forgets to carry the one, humanity could see astronauts roving across the Moon in stylish new rides designed by whichever company survives the next twelve months of high-stakes lunar auditions.
At least someone is finally addressing the universal human craving to drive in circles, even 238,855 miles from the nearest DMV.