The trio will develop their team’s ideas for a lunar terrain vehicle (LTV) to help astronauts explore the Moon’s south polar region. The area is believed to contain frozen water, so it makes sense that NASA would set up shop there. base camp there.
All three must design vehicles that can accommodate two suitable astronauts and handle the extreme conditions of the region. They must also have robotic capabilities for remote operation so that NASA can continue testing and exploring even when astronauts are not on the Moon.
The next step for them is to undertake “a feasibility task order, which will be a one-year special study to develop a system that meets NASA requirements during the preliminary design maturity phase of the project.” Next, NASA will request a demonstration mission proposal to continue development, deliver its LTV to the surface of the Moon, and then validate performance and safety before the Artemis V mission.
“We will use the LTV to go to places we otherwise could not reach on foot, increasing our ability to explore and make new scientific discoveries. » said Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist in the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “With crewed Artemis missions and during remote operations when there is no crew on the surface, we enable science and discovery on the Moon all year round.”
Intuitive machines recently made headlines after becoming the first private aerospace company to land a spacecraft on the Moon. It is also the first American lunar lander to reach the surface of the Moon in more than 50 years. although on his side.
NASA’s Artemis program aims to create a lasting presence near the Moon ahead of its broader goal of one day preparing for human missions to Mars. The initiative was launched after former Vice President Mike Pence challenged NASA to send humans to the Moon by 2024. Since then, the Artemis II mission was postponed to September 2025, with the Artemis III landing mission now planned for September 2026.