after test After using the FLEX rover in the California desert last year, Astrolab is now planning to transport the vehicle to: Month. The spaceflight startup has signed a deal with SpaceX. Astrolab’s first lunar rover to head to the Moon on a future Starship mission.
Friday, Astrolab announced SpaceX plans to use the Starship launch and landing system to transport a Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover to the lunar surface by mid-2026. The rover will deliver about 2,200 pounds (1,000 kilograms) of customer cargo to the moon, with details to be announced soon.
Astrolab partners with Venturi Group to design a fleet of FLEX rovers I have one goal in mind. To support a sustainable human presence on the moon.Rover is designed to deliver payloads Not only can you go to the moon, but you can also carry two astronauts to the moon’s surface. FLEX is also designed with a robotic arm and science mast similar to NASA’s Mars rover. and again Antennas that provide constant high bandwidth communicationn with the earth. According to Astrolab, the idea is for his FLEX rover fleet to one day go to Mars and support human presence on Mars.
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Astrolab founder and CEO Jaret Matthews said in a statement from the company: “We hope that this approach will help establish a permanent lunar outpost on the Moon at a lower cost and in a shorter time frame than previously envisioned.”
The California-based startup hopes to win a contract from NASA as part of the space agency’s Artemis program to the moon. To support the sustainable presence of astronauts on and around the moon, NASA is looking for ideas for: lunar terrain vehicle concept. The space agency plans to hold a call for proposals in May.
Related article: The Definitive Guide to SpaceX’s Starship Megarocket
SpaceX’s Starship is also part of NASA’s lunar plans. $2.89 billion contract land astronauts on the moon by late 2025 as part of artemis 3 missionBut the Starship is still not in orbit and its first flight has suffered lots of delays. recently media coverage It’s hinted that Starship may fly for the first time in April, but we’ve learned not to take those claims to heart.
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