NASA to reveal companies to develop Lunar Terrain Vehicle for Moon exploration

NASA has scheduled a news conference to unveil the company or consortium of companies that will take on the groundbreaking development of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV). The event will take place at 4 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 3, at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston and air live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

In May 2023, NASA sought proposals from companies interested in developing and demonstrating the next-generation LTV, which will be utilized in the Artemis missions for exploration of the Moon's south polar region. The vehicle will function like a cross between the Apollo missions' lunar rovers and the uncrewed, scientific exploration capabilities seen in Mars rovers like Curiosity and Perseverance. The LTV's dual functionality - supporting both crewed and uncrewed operations - will enhance its utility, enabling extensive scientific research and exploration activities.

For crewed missions, the LTV will serve as a mobile platform, facilitating astronauts in traversing vast lunar distances, transporting scientific equipment, and thereby expanding the scope of their exploratory moonwalks. The rover's design caters to extended explorations, significantly surpassing the limitations of previous lunar rovers by allowing astronauts to cover greater distances and conduct more comprehensive scientific investigations.

According to NASA, engineers will be able to remotely control the LTV to carry cargo and scientific payloads across the lunar surface, bridging crewed landing sites and enabling continuous scientific exploration even in the absence of astronauts. This is expected to maximize the scientific returns from the lunar surface, offering opportunities for resource prospecting and aiding in the selection of sites for future missions based on thorough scientific research.

Developers will have to tailor LTV's design to withstand the challenging conditions of the lunar South Pole, incorporating systems for advanced power management, semi-autonomous driving, and robust communication and navigation, crucial for overcoming the obstacles posed by permanently shadowed regions and the fluctuating availability of sunlight.

Additionally, each rover must be designed to carry two suited astronauts, accommodate a robotic arm or mechanism to support science exploration, and survive the extreme temperatures at the lunar South Pole.