NASA is seeking proposals for a next-generation Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), for the Artemis Missions on the Moon‘s surface.
Artist’s concept of NASA’s next-generation Lunar Terrain Vehicle. Credits NASA
The LTVs will play a crucial role in transporting crew members, equipment, and scientific instruments across the lunar surface during Artemis missions.
NASA will contract LTV as a service from the industry rather than owning the rover.
The LTV needs to be capable of navigating the challenging lunar terrain, including rough and sloped areas while ensuring crew safety and mission success. It will function like a cross between an Apollo-style lunar rover and a Mars-style uncrewed rover.
NASA’s Artemis program aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon by 2024, laying the foundation for future crewed missions to Mars.
Lara Kearney, manager of NASA’s Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility program at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, said:
“We want to leverage industry’s knowledge and innovation, combined with NASA’s history of successfully operating rovers, to make the best possible surface rover for our astronaut crews and scientific researchers.”
source NASA
