0
0
NASA Reveals Next Generation Moon Rover
NASA is set to unveil the selected company or companies responsible for developing the lunar rover for the Artemis program of lunar exploration. The announcement will be made during a press conference today (April 3) at 4 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT).
Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC), Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist at NASA Headquarters, and Lara Kearney, manager of the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program at JSC, will participate in the press conference.
The two-person Artemis rover, also known as the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), is designed to aid astronauts in exploring the moon’s south polar region where significant water ice deposits are believed to exist. Similar to NASA’s original lunar rover – the Apollo moon buggy (Lunar Roving Vehicle), the LTV will not be pressurized, requiring astronauts to wear spacesuits while operating it on the lunar surface.
NASA’s vision for the LTV includes a high level of autonomy to allow the rover to continue conducting scientific research during intervals between crewed Artemis missions. The first crewed mission, Artemis 3, is scheduled to land near the moon’s south pole in September 2026, but the LTV will not be deployed until Artemis 5, planned for launch in 2030.
Last year, NASA issued a request for proposal for the LTV on May 26, with submissions due by July 10.
Stay tuned for further updates on this groundbreaking development in space exploration as NASA unveils the future of lunar exploration with the Artemis program.
Image/Photo credit: source url
