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Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab will take part in the NASA competition for development of a vehicle that can travel on the Moon – an order with a potential value of $4.6 billion over the next 13 years.
The Lunar Vehicle (LTV) will help astronauts explore the south polar region of the Moon, where frozen water is believed to be present – where NASA plans to set up a base camp.
Artistic concept of a lunar car from Lunar Outpost
NASA requires all three companies to develop a vehicle that can accommodate two astronauts in specialized suits, can also cope with extreme terrain conditions and be equipped with robotic functions for remote control (so that the space agency can conduct tests and research even in the absence of man on the Moon).
Artistic concept of a moonmobile from Venturi Astrolab
Companies must then complete a “feasibility study order” and submit proposals to continue development, deliver the vehicle to the Moon, and test its effectiveness and safety ahead of the Artemis V.
mission.
“We will use LTV to travel to places we otherwise couldn't reach on foot,” said Jacob Bleacher, chief scientist for NASA's Exploration Systems Development Division. “Through crewed missions during remote operations, we will support operations on the Moon throughout the year.”
Intuitive Machines is now famous for being the first private aerospace company to land (albeit sideways) a spacecraft on the Moon—and the first U.S. lander to “land” in 50 years.
Artist concept of the Moonmobile by Intuitive Machines
The Artemis program is designed to ensure a permanent human presence on the Moon, and subsequently launch missions to Mars. Artemis II, previously scheduled for November 2024, was postponed to September 2025 – the mission, consisting of 4 people, will repeat the path of Orion, which circled the Moon in 2022 without a crew. As for the Artemis III mission, which would return humans to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972, it is now scheduled for September 2026 – 9 months later than previously planned.
Earlier, Ars Technica journalist Eric Berger shared information about how much money NASA will need to land astronauts on the Moon as part of the Artemis program over the next 5 years – the amount exceeds $41 billion.
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NASA also admitted that the development and operation of the SLS rocket was “not within their means.” The project turned out to be much more expensive than planned – the development of the rocket cost American taxpayers $11 billion, and the cost of one Orion launch on SLS is $4.1 billion (of which $2.2 billion is the rocket itself, another $0.57 is the necessary ground costs , and the rest is the cost of American and European components of the Orion spacecraft).
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