3 private companies involved

Artemis” mission: NASA has lunar vehicles built

The private space companies Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab will build lunar vehicles in the future.

(Bild: Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)

Three companies are to build lunar vehicles on behalf of the US space agency NASA. The private space companies Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab have been selected for the contract worth a total of 4.3 billion euros.

Each of the three companies will now work on a prototype for a year before deciding which vehicle will be sent to the moon, how and when.

The private space companies Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab will build lunar vehicles in the future.

(Bild: Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)

The companies have all been working in similar areas for some time. Intuitive Machines successfully made the first unmanned commercial landing on the moon in February.

In future, astronauts will be able to move around on the lunar surface with the so-called "Lunar Terrain Vehicles".

Lunar mission places high demands on rovers
Among other things, the vehicles must be able to withstand the extreme conditions on the moon, and there are also high requirements in terms of power supply, autonomous driving, communication and navigation.

In the future, astronauts will be able to move around on the lunar surface with the so-called "Lunar Terrain Vehicles".

(Bild: AFP)

"These vehicles will greatly increase the ability of astronauts to explore and research the surface of the moon," says Vanessa Wyche, head of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

"At the same time, they will be a scientific platform between manned missions."

"Artemis" program brings people back to the moon
With the "Artemis " program, named after the Greek goddess of the moon, NASA wants to put humans back on the moon for the first time in more than half a century - including the first non-white human and the first woman. The long-term goal of "Artemis" is to establish a permanent lunar base as a foundation for missions to Mars.

However, NASA has just had to postpone the manned moon orbit "Artemis 2", originally planned for November 2024, until September 2025 due to problems with the rocket and spacecraft, and the planned manned moon landing "Artemis 3" until September 2026. There is competition from China, which wants to put humans on the moon by 2030.