NASA chooses companies to produce lunar vehicles for the Artemis mission

NASA selected, on Wednesday (3), three companies to produce lunar terrain vehicles that will be used by astronauts on the Artemis mission: Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab.

The idea is that they will use the vehicle to conduct scientific research, explore the Moon, transport materials and collect samples. The project is preparation for NASA to conduct human missions to Mars. The expectation is that the vehicles will begin to be used in the Artemis V mission.

“We look forward to developing the Artemis lunar exploration vehicle to help us advance what we have learned on the Moon,” said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

“This vehicle will greatly enhance our astronauts’ ability to explore and conduct science on the lunar surface, while also serving as a science platform between crewed missions.”

The vehicles will be acquired by NASA through a service contract with deliveries that will still be defined throughout the project, until 2039. The agreement foresees, however, a maximum ceiling of US$4.6 billion (around R$23 billion) for the project.

The lunar terrain vehicle will need to withstand the extreme conditions of the lunar South Pole and will feature power management, autonomous driving and state-of-the-art communications and navigation systems. It will be operated remotely between Artemis missions and, when not used by NASA, will be available for commercial activities run by suppliers.

“We will use the LTV to travel to places we would otherwise not be able to reach on foot, increasing our ability to explore and make new scientific discoveries,” said Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist in the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate of the NASA.