BUSINESS WIRE
Astrolab Awarded NASA Contract Worth up to $1.9 Billion to Support the Development of Artemis Campaign’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle
John Taylor
john@astrolab.space
+1(571) 437-4685
Today Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) announced that NASA has awarded the company, together with its teammates Axiom Space, Inc., and Odyssey Space Research, a contract to advance the development of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) which will help Artemis astronauts explore more of the Moon’s surface on future missions. The Astrolab team is one of three teams to win contract awards. Astrolab’s contract is worth up to $1.9 billion. Collectively the three contract winners may be awarded t
ask orders over the next 13 years with a total potential value of $4.6 billion. The contracts allow for two additional years for the completion of services.
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b contract is one of three contracts awarded by NASA as part of the LTV project. Collectively, the three contracts have a total potential value of $4.6 billion over the next 13 years. The contracts allow for two additional years for the completion of services. The Astrolab rover, known as Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX), can be operated remotely from Earth even when astronauts are not present, or it can be operated by suited astronauts. This image shows the rover in both configurations. Astrolab expects that once FLEX arrives on the lunar surface, it will become the largest and most capable rover to ever travel to the Moon. (Photo: Business Wire)"/>
NASA has awarded Astrolab a contract to develop a Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) which will help Artemis astro
nauts explore more of the Moon's surface on future missions. The Astrolab contract is one of three contracts awarded by NASA as part of the LTV project. Collectively, the three contracts have a total potential value of $4.6 billion over the next 13 years. The contracts allow for two additional years for the completion of services. The Astrolab rover, known as Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX), can be operated remotely from Earth even when astronauts are not present, or it can be operated by suited astronauts. This image shows the rover in both configurations. Astrolab expects that once FLEX arrives on the lunar surface, it will become the largest and most capable rover to ever travel to the Moon. (Photo: Business Wire)
“Astrolab is honored to have its FLEX rover selected by NASA to participate in the development of creating a Lunar Terrain Vehicle for the Artemis Campaign,” said Jaret Matthews, founder & CEO, Astrolab. “Our entire team, together with our business partners, are committed to delivering to NASA an LTV that serves as a critical tool in the agency’s efforts to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon.”
"We're excited to work with Astrolab and the entire team to revolutionize lunar operations," said Russell Ralston, Vice President of EVA, Axiom Space. "We look forward to offering our expertise in the design of vehicle interfaces for both the crew and spacesuits, ensuring astronaut safety and mobility on the surface of the Moon. This partnership showcases a collective commitment to pushing boundaries and driving advancements in space exploration."
"It’s a privilege to be a part of the outstanding Astrolab team entrusted by NASA to advance development for the commercial FLEX rover for the LTV project,” said Brian Lunney, COO, Odyssey Space Research and former Flight Director, NASA. “We are excited and ready to start work with Astrolab, Axiom, and NASA doing what we know best to ensure safe, cost-effective, and sustainable lunar surface exploration.”
Astrolab first revealed the full-scale working prototype for its Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover in March of 2022. In the years since, the company has conducted thousands of hours of laboratory and field testing that has led to numerous design improvements. Tests included both crewed and telerobotic operations, deployment of a variety of large payloads, science operations with its robotic arm, and engineering testing of the rover’s mobility performance in challenging terrain.
As required by NASA, FLEX can carry two suited astronauts, accommodate a robotic arm to support science exploration, perform robotic cargo logistics, and survive the extreme temperatures at the lunar South Pole. FLEX can be operated remotely from Earth even when astronauts are not present, or it can be operated by suited astronauts.
Once FLEX arrives on the lunar surface, Astrolab expects that FLEX will become the largest and most capable rover to ever travel to the Moon. With a maximum combined rover and cargo mass of more than two tons, the FLEX rover is nearly three times the mass of its largest predecessor. This increased capacity provides significantly more opportunities to conduct scientific experiments and commercial endeavors on the lunar surface.
Astrolab will be exhibiting its FLEX rover at the 39th Annual Space Symposium from April 8-11, 2024 at The Broadmoor Hotel and Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
About Astrolab
Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) is on a mission to move humanity forward to the next horizon by designing, building, and operating a fleet of multi-purpose rovers for all planetary surface needs. Formed by a highly specialized team of NASA veterans, former SpaceXers and JPL engineers, Astrolab is laser-focused on providing adaptive mobility solutions essential for life beyond Earth. In 2023, Astrolab announced an agreement with SpaceX to land a FLEX rover on the Moon as soon as 2026. The team has industry leading experience in terrestrial and planetary robotics, electric vehicles, human spaceflight and more. Astrolab’s depth of experience and strategic partnerships with a wide array of world-class institutions, including electric vehicle pioneer Venturi Group, enables the delivery of Lunar and Mars mobility offerings at maximum reliability, flexibility, and cost effectiveness. The company is headquartered in Hawthorne, California. For more information, visit astrolab.space or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
About Axiom Space
Axiom Space is building for beyond, guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure, Axiom Space operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while developing its successor, Axiom Station – the world’s first commercial space station in low-Earth orbit, which will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home. For more information about Axiom Space, visit axiomspace.com.
About Odyssey Space Research
Odyssey is an aerospace engineering and software company based in Houston, Texas and Boulder, Colorado specializing in flight software, simulation, systems analysis and safety, guidance, navigation and control (GNC), flight dynamics, and operations – focusing on human-rated spacecraft and systems. Odyssey’s mission and passion are to advance the exploration and development of space by delivering high value, enabling solutions and capabilities to our customers and partners. For more than 20 years, Odyssey has proudly contributed to the success of numerous space projects and missions for NASA and commercial customers and continues to do so every day. Learn more at odysseysr.com.
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