3 companies win NASA contracts to develop new Artemis moon rover designs
Source: CBS News
April 3, 2024 / 8:43 PM EDT
Along with funding the commercial development of new rockets, Artemis moon landers and new spacesuits, NASA is pressing ahead with plans to buy an unpressurized moon rover that can carry astronauts, science payloads — or both — across the rugged terrain of the lunar south pole, officials said Wednesday.
The agency announced contract awards to three companies to develop competing designs for a Lunar Terrain Vehicle, or LTV, similar in concept to the rovers that carried the last three Apollo crews across the moon's surface more than 50 years ago. But the new models will feature state-of-the-art technology, long-lasting tires, autonomous computer control and other technology upgrades, allowing them to cover much greater distances under manual astronaut control or by remote control from Earth.
"As astronauts explore the south pole region of the moon during our Artemis missions, they'll be able to go farther and conduct more science than ever before thanks to the Lunar Terrain Vehicle," said Vanessa Wyche, director of the Johnson Space Center. "Think of a hybrid of the Apollo style lunar rover ... and an uncrewed mobile science platform."
"This will give the crew the capability to travel a distance much further from their landing sites," Wyche said. "In addition, during uncrewed operations, the LTV will provide autonomous operations for science and technology."
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nasa-contracts-artemis-moon-rover-designs/
Link to NASA PRESS RELEASE - NASA Selects Companies to Advance Moon Mobility for Artemis Missions
