WASHINGTON, April 4, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Three companies are in the running to 
provide NASA's next Moon rover for crewed missions planned later this decade, 
the space agency said Wednesday.

Texas-based Intuitive Machines -- which landed a robot near the lunar south 
pole in February -- Lunar Outpost of Colorado and Venturi Astrolab of 
California have been tasked with developing designs under a contract with a 
combined maximum potential value of $4.6 billion. 

The US space agency anticipates awarding one of the three companies a 
"demonstration task order" -- meaning a test run for their Lunar Terrain 
Vehicle (LTV), on the surface of the Moon, prior to the arrival of crew for 
the Artemis 5 mission that is currently set for 2030, according to NASA's 
latest budget request.

"We are building up the capabilities needed to establish a longer-term 
exploration and presence of the Moon," Jacob Bleacher, NASA's chief 
exploration scientist told reporters. "I like to imagine the views and the 
vistas that the LTV will enable us to see from the surface of the Moon."

Although the contracts went to relatively new companies, they have partnered 
with more established players in the aerospace industry.

 Intuitive Machines said it had been given an initial $30 million to advance 
its prototype, called the Reusable Autonomous Crewed Exploration Rover 
(RACER), with teammates including AVL, Boeing, Michelin and Northrop Grumman.

- Built to withstand temperature extremes -

Astrolab said its contract could be "worth up to $1.9 billion" -- though 
didn't mention what amount it was given initially -- for its Flexible 
Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover, which it is building along with Axiom 
Space and Odyssey Space Research. An initial design of its rover was 
showcased in 2022.

"The FLEX rover is designed to carry two suited astronauts, support 
scientific exploration with a robotic arm, perform cargo logistics, and 
withstand the extreme temperatures at the lunar South Pole," the company said 
in a statement.

Lunar Outpost is working with Lockheed Martin, General Motors, Goodyear and 
MDA Space, with the team collectively called "Lunar Dawn," on a Lunar Dawn 
LTV.

"We're taking cutting edge technology and automotive industry strengths to 
provide a true off-road vehicle capable of allowing us to live and work on 
the surface of the Moon," said the company's CEO Justin Cyrus.

 Lunar Outpost is planning to put a mini uncrewed rover on the Moon later 
this year, as part of Intuitive Machines' next lander mission.

NASA said it would be purchasing services from the companies, rather than 
buying their hardware -- a contract model it increasingly favors in order to 
reduce costs and to stimulate a wider space economy. Eventually, the chosen 
company could have its own private sector clients, too.

The US is planning to return astronauts to the Moon and build a sustained 
presence there under the Artemis program, named for the sister of Apollo in 
Greek mythology.

The first crewed mission, Artemis 3, is meant to land in 2026, though it's 
widely assumed that such a timeline is overly optimistic. China is also 
planning to send a crew to the Moon in 2030, as a new space race heats up.