Venturi Astrolab, which is developing large lunar rovers to carry astronauts on Artemis missions, initially plans to fly the small rover primarily as a technical demonstration mission. In a presentation at the International Astronomical Congress on October 15, Astrolab announced plans to build the FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform, or FLIP, a rover to launch in late 2025. The half-ton rover will have a carrying capacity of 30 tons. Up to 50 kilograms.

The main goal of FLIP is to improve technology readiness levels (TRL) by testing key systems for the larger FLEX rover or flexible logistics and research equipment. “We want to increase the TRL of our technology relative to our other missions,” said Jareth Matthews, founder and CEO of Astrolab.

The FLIP will test the same battery modules that the larger FLEX will use and will have the same tires as the FLEX. Other technologies Astrolab plans to test on the smaller rover include actuators, power and communications systems.

FLIP also provides the opportunity to serve customers who do not require the same load capacity as FLEX, which is designed to carry up to 1,500 kilograms. “This was in response to customer demand and interest in different ways to reach the moon,” he said.

Astrolab has only been working on FLIP for six weeks, Matthews said. “This is mostly a repackaging of FLEX systems,” he said. “This is really an iteration step towards the final FLEX.” The company had been working on what it called a “thermal model verification device” for ground testing, but decided to convert this test piece into a FLIP rover.

Astrolab has not disclosed how it will take FLIP to the moon, other than using one of the commercial lunar landers developed to support NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. “It is designed to operate with some CLPS landers. There are several in this weight class, so we hope to have it ready to fly by the end of next year and evaluate our options.”

One possibility is to fly Griffin, an lander that Astrobotic Technologies is developing for the CLPS mission, which was originally intended to fulfill NASA’s Volatile Exploration Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) mission. In July, NASA announced it would cancel VIPER but keep Astrobotic’s CLPS mission so it could operate Griffin with a mass simulator or other payload.

VIPER is similar in size to FLIP. When asked if Griffin was an option to deliver Rover, Matthews said only: “Stay tuned.”

FLIP was designed for the Moon’s south pole, with features such as a vertical solar panel optimized to operate there. “We think that’s the way the market will be,” he said. It also makes it easier for you to experience a moonlit night, which may be shorter depending on lighting conditions; the goal of FLIP is to survive at least one moonlit night.

Lessons learned from FLIP will be used for the larger FLEX rover that Astrolab plans to send to the Moon as early as 2026 aboard SpaceX’s Starship commercial lander. Astrolab is also one of three companies selected by NASA in April for research contracts for the Lunar Lander Services program for the rover that astronauts will use on subsequent Artemis missions. NASA plans to select a company to develop this rover and offer it to NASA under a services contract.