NASA wants to make a car that astronauts can drive on the Moon: Full details of NASA Lunar Terrain Vehicle project

NASA selected three leading companies including Intuitive Machines to develop a lunar terrain vehicle (LTV) for the Artemis 5 mission.

NASA to develop a lunar terrain vehicle (LTV) to explore the Moon's south pole. (NASA)

NASA has been planning to develop alunar terrain vehicle (LTV) which will allow Artemis astronauts to travel around the lunar south polar region. The US Space Agency has selected three agencies that will work on the development of a lunar vehicle. Among the three, NASA has also selected Intuitive Machines which recently participated in the landing of Odysseus spacecraft on the Moon. Now, the companies have again partnered to bring a high-tech vision to reality. Know more about the lunar terrain vehicle (LTV).

NASA Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV)

According to the NASA blog and shared YouTube video, the space agency has partnered with three companies to provide their advanced technology for the development of a Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV). The companies include Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab. The vehicle is reported to provide astronauts with a mode to move around the Moon for conducting scientific research. Additionally, it will also help prepare human missions to Mars. The LTV will be used during the Artemis 5 mission which is expected to launch in March 2030.

Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston said, “We look forward to the development of the Artemis generation lunar exploration vehicle to help us advance what we learn at the Moon. This vehicle will greatly increase our astronauts' ability to explore and conduct science on the lunar surface while also serving as a science platform between crewed missions.” NASA also highlighted that the project for developing a Moon vehicle could cost up to $4.6 billion. However, the cost will solely be based on the “indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity” basis.

The LTV is expected to help astronauts explore the Moon's south pole, transport scientific equipment, and collect lunar surface samples for comprehensive study and research. Therefore, the vehicle will be developed with advanced technology to function during extreme conditions. NASA said that the LTV “will feature advanced technologies for power management, autonomous driving, and state-of-the-art communications and navigation systems.”

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