NASA recruits Lockheed Martin and General Motors to build the next lunar rover

[Shawn Knight]

In brief: General Motors Co. and Lockheed Martin have been selected to develop rovers for humanity’s return to the Moon. The Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), the first of many types of surface mobility vehicles that will be needed, is being designed to travel much further away from the landing site than earlier Apollo rovers, including the Moon's south pole.

NASA earlier this year awarded SpaceX and Blue Origin lucrative contracts to help it build lunar landing equipment for the Artemis program. Now, the space agency is turning its attention to lunar surface transportation.

NASA last year mandated that future rovers must have autonomous capabilities, and be driven by electricity. The agency put out a call to leaders across a variety of industries, with GM and Lockheed Martin ultimately being selected.

Both companies have a long history of working with NASA on space exploration projects. GM was responsible for the inertial guidance and navigation systems for the entire Apollo Moon program, and developed the chassis and wheels used during the Apollo 15-17 missions.

Defense contractor Lockheed Martin has built spacecraft and systems that have visited every planet in the solar system, and has been part of every NASA mission to Mars. The company also played a major role in the space shuttle program and helped create power systems for the International Space Station.

Artemis is expected to put humans on the Moon sometime in the mid-2020s. In the much closer future (assuming there are no more delays), space enthusiasts can look forward to NASA's launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, which is set for October 31, 2021.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/89847-nasa-recruits-lockheed-martin-general-motors-build-next.html

 

[QuantumPhysics]

I sure hope the moon has warranty repair centers.

 

[hover389]

NASA mandated that the rover must be driven by electricity? Isnt that kind of obvious or are there other options that im not thinking of?

 

[Vulcanproject]

Well Musk's Tesla Roadster is already up there, could have just gone with that instead of calling up GM. Probably difficult to find a compatible charging station in range though, Tesla's superchargers don't work with the Roadster.

 

[GeforcerFX]

NASA mandated that the rover must be driven by electricity? Isnt that kind of obvious or are there other options that im not thinking of?

Liquid fuel, but solar or RTG makes the most sense with modern battery tech.

 

[GeforcerFX]

I guess now we know why the first run limited edition of the new Hummer was covered in lunar stuff. I think a Hummer on the moon would be cool, starship lander should easily have the downmass.

 

[wiyosaya]

Well Musk's Tesla Roadster is already up there, could have just gone with that instead of calling up GM. Probably difficult to find a compatible charging station in range though, Tesla's superchargers don't work with the Roadster.

Thanks to your insight, at least we now know why Musky launched his Roadster into space.

 

[wiyosaya]

I think a Hummer on the moon would be cool, starship lander should easily have the downmass.

If the design that actually makes it to the moon is anything like the one that is pictured in this article, then a Hummer is literally far less flexible. I am sure NASA is not looking for "cool" in the final vehicle ("cool" would, however, be a necessary aspect of space suits for the moon mission), though, I would expect NASA to want both practical and capable as design features.

 

[Gastec]

NASA mandated that the rover must be driven by electricity? Isnt that kind of obvious or are there other options that im not thinking of?

Pedals

 

[Lozzy]

Christ, if my old 2008 GM-era Saab is anything to go by, you'll be able to hear the lunar rover's dashboard rattles from here.