PLANNING a road trip on the Moon? There are some space-age motors you’ll want to consider.
Nasa is working with three companies to design, build, and test a new Lunar Terrain Vehicle.
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This LTV is designed to shuttle astronauts around during the manned Artemis mission to the lunar surface.
And the final model is expected to handle on-Moon transport right through to 2039.
It will be tough enough to handle the “extreme conditions” at the Moon’s South Pole, according to Nasa.
On top of that, it will need to be able to drive itself around through the power of artificial intelligence.
“We will use the LTV to travel to locations we might not otherwise be able to reach on foot,” said Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist in the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at Nasa.
“Increasing our ability to explore and make new scientific discoveries.
“With the Artemis crewed missions, and during remote operations when there is not a crew on the surface, we are enabling science and discovery on the Moon year around.”
Part three of the Artemis mission – which is the first set to see astronauts descend to the Moon’s surface – is expected to take place as soon as 2026, though it could be delayed.
There are three companies vying to be Nasa’s LTV of choice on the Moon for Artemis V in 2030.
They are Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab.
INTUITIVE MACHINES LTV
The Intuitive Machines rover is called RACER, and it’s being developed by a partnership that includes Boeing, Michelin, and Northrop Grumman.
It has lunar wheels that can operate at temperatures above 100C and below -240C.
And they promise to “withstand exposure to solar and galactic radiation”.
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It looks a bit like a giant go-kart, complete with bright headlights, slick illuminated Moon Racer branding, and what looks like very comfortable padded seating.
LUNAR OUTPOST LTV
Next up is Lunar Outpost’s Lunar Dawn LTV, which is described as “an extraordinarily capable off-road robotic transportation system”.
It’s pitched as being able to carry crew and cargo on the Moon and Mars.
This one looks a bit more like a milk truck, and is being developed in partnership with tyre giant Goodyear.
“The LTV is capable of operating in the most extreme environments continuously,” Lunar Outpost explains.
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NASA ARTEMIS MISSIONS – THE TIMELINE
The Artemis mission is designed to reestablish a human presence on the Moon.
The exploration program will involve a series of missions, including the create of a permanent Moon base.
As with all space missions, planned timings can be wildly off – but here’s what we’re expecting…
Artemis I (2022) – Successful uncrewed test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
Artemis II (2025) – Planned crewed test flight of SLS and the Orion spacecraft.
Artemis III (2026) – Crewed landing on surface of Moon – the first American landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Artemis IV (2028) – Second crewed lunar landing mission using Orion, as well as Starship HLS that will dock with Lunar Gateway station near the Moon.
Artemis V (2030) – Third crewed landing, including the delivery of Nasa’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle.
Artemis VI (2031) – Fourth crewed landing, integrating the Crew and Science Airlock with the Lunar Gateway Space Station.
“With minimal need for maintenance and a focus on Astronaut safety, the LTV will enable the Artemis campaign to thrive furthering critical Science objectives and enabling a sustainable Moon base.”
VENTURI ASTROLAB LTV
Third on the list is perhaps the most bizarre – looking less like a car and more like something from Mad Max.
It’s the Venturi LTV, and it can be piloted remotely from Earth, by astronauts on the Moon – or even drive itself around using AI.
“We have created much more than a rover for use on the Moon or Mars,” Venturi explained.
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“Our rover is a logistics system capable of handling a wide variety of cargo.
“We believe that this approach will enable a permanent lunar outpost to be established on the Moon at a lower cost and in less time than expected.”
Venturi says that the vehicle will be able to operate between -240C and 130C, as well as resisting radiation.
And it can also “operate for a fortnight in the darkness of the South Pole of the Moon”.
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The Moon – our closest neighbour explained
Here’s what you need to know…
- The Moon is a natural satellite – a space-faring body that orbits a planet
- It’s Earth’s only natural satellite, and is the fifth biggest in the Solar System
- The Moon measures 2,158 miles across, roughly 0.27 times the diameter of Earth
- Temperatures on the Moon range from minus 173 degrees Celcius to 260 degrees Celcius
- Experts assumed the Moon was another planet, until Nicolaus Copernicus outlined his theory about our Solar System in 1543
- It was eventually assigned to a “class” after Galileo discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610
- The Moon is believed to have formed around 4.51billion years ago
- The strength of its gravitational field is about a sixth of Earth’s gravity
- Earth and the Moon have “synchronous rotation”, which means we always see the same side of the Moon – hence the phrase “dark side of the Moon”
- The Moon’s surface is actually dark, but appears bright in the sky due to its reflective ground
- During a solar eclipse, the Moon covers the Sun almost completely. Both objects appear a similar size in the sky because the Sun is both 400 times larger and farther
- The first spacecraft to reach the Moon was in 1959, as part of the Soviet Union’s Lunar program
- The first manned orbital mission was Nasa’s Apollo 8 in 1968
- And the first manned lunar landing was in 1969, as part of the Apollo 11 mission