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A new lunar rover has been introduced for the mission to the Moon with SpaceX Starship. Hawthorne, California-based Astrolab has reached an agreement with SpaceX to launch the
A new lunar rover has been introduced for the mission to the Moon with SpaceX Starship. Hawthorne, California-based Astrolab has reached an agreement with SpaceX to launch the FLEX (Flexible Logistics and Exploration) rover on the upcoming Starship moon mission. The mission is currently scheduled for mid-2026, according to a statement released by Astrolab.(opens in new tab) on Friday, March 31.
When it arrives, FLEX will be the largest and most versatile rover ever to roll on the lunar surface. In photos it looks slightly smaller than a standard four-door and weighs over two tons when fully loaded. The vehicle will be able to carry two astronauts who can control the vehicle using an onboard panel. The FLEX is also designed to be operated remotely without any personal operators and is equipped with a robotic arm that can manipulate the ship’s modular cargo space, which can accommodate a wide variety of scientific instruments and commercial technologies.
Astrolab built FLEX to NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) specifications and hopes to have an entire fleet of FLEX traveling on the lunar surface as part of the Artemis program. “We’ve built a logistics system that can accommodate a wide range of cargo. We expect this approach to help establish a permanent lunar outpost on the Moon in less time and at less cost than previously anticipated,” said Jareth Matthews, founder and CEO of Astrolab. FLEX engineers also envision the rover working on future missions to Mars.
On Friday, it was announced that FLEX will launch aboard SpaceX’s Starship in a super-heavy launch vehicle, just weeks before the rocket is expected to make its first orbital test flight. After launch, the Starship is expected to be able to lift 100 tons into orbit. NASA also contracted SpaceX to supply Starship as a manned lunar lander for the Artemis program, currently scheduled for 2025.
In a release, Astrolab announced that the company has signed several deals to move customer payloads on its first FLEX mission. Astrolab said details of these regulations will be made public “late this spring,” although no details were provided.
Source: Port Altele
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