HAWTHORNE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apr 3, 2024–
Right this moment Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) introduced that NASA has awarded the corporate, along with its teammates Axiom Area, Inc., and Odyssey Area Analysis, a contract to advance the event of the Lunar Terrain Automobile (LTV) which is able to assist Artemis astronauts discover extra of the Moon’s floor on future missions. The Astrolab staff is one in every of three groups to win contract awards. Astrolab’s contract is value as much as $1.9 billion. Collectively the three contract winners could also be awarded job orders over the following 13 years with a complete potential worth of $4.6 billion. The contracts enable for 2 further years for the completion of companies.
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“Astrolab is honored to have its FLEX rover chosen by NASA to take part within the growth of making a Lunar Terrain Automobile for the Artemis Marketing campaign,” stated Jaret Matthews, founder & CEO, Astrolab. “Our total staff, along with our enterprise companions, are dedicated to delivering to NASA an LTV that serves as a vital instrument within the company’s efforts to determine a long-term human presence on the Moon.”
“We’re excited to work with Astrolab and all the staff to revolutionize lunar operations,” stated Russell Ralston, Vice President of EVA, Axiom Area. “We sit up for providing our experience within the design of car interfaces for each the crew and spacesuits, making certain astronaut security and mobility on the floor of the Moon. This partnership showcases a collective dedication to pushing boundaries and driving developments in area exploration.”
“It’s a privilege to be part of the excellent Astrolab staff entrusted by NASA to advance growth for the industrial FLEX rover for the LTV challenge,” stated Brian Lunney, COO, Odyssey Area Analysis and former Flight Director, NASA. “We’re excited and able to begin work with Astrolab, Axiom, and NASA doing what we all know greatest to make sure secure, cost-effective, and sustainable lunar floor exploration.”
Astrolab first revealed the full-scale working prototype for its Versatile Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover in March of 2022. Within the years since, the corporate has carried out 1000’s of hours of laboratory and subject testing that has led to quite a few design enhancements. Checks included each crewed and telerobotic operations, deployment of a wide range of giant payloads, science operations with its robotic arm, and engineering testing of the rover’s mobility efficiency in difficult terrain.
As required by NASA, FLEX can carry two suited astronauts, accommodate a robotic arm to assist science exploration, carry out robotic cargo logistics, and survive the acute temperatures on the lunar South Pole. FLEX may be operated remotely from Earth even when astronauts usually are not current, or it may be operated by suited astronauts.
As soon as FLEX arrives on the lunar floor, Astrolab expects that FLEX will develop into the biggest and most succesful rover to ever journey to the Moon. With a most mixed rover and cargo mass of greater than two tons, the FLEX rover is almost 3 times the mass of its largest predecessor. This elevated capability supplies considerably extra alternatives to conduct scientific experiments and industrial endeavors on the lunar floor.
Astrolab can be exhibiting its FLEX rover on the 39 th Annual Area Symposium from April 8-11, 2024 at The Broadmoor Resort and Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
About Astrolab
Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) is on a mission to maneuver humanity ahead to the following horizon by designing, constructing, and working a fleet of multi-purpose rovers for all planetary floor wants. Fashioned by a extremely specialised staff of NASA veterans, former SpaceXers and JPL engineers, Astrolab is laser-focused on offering adaptive mobility options important for all times past Earth. In 2023, Astrolab introduced an settlement with SpaceX to land a FLEX rover on the Moon as quickly as 2026. The staff has business main expertise in terrestrial and planetary robotics, electrical autos, human spaceflight and extra. Astrolab’s depth of expertise and strategic partnerships with a big selection of world-class establishments, together with electrical automobile pioneer Venturi Group, permits the supply of Lunar and Mars mobility choices at most reliability, flexibility, and value effectiveness. The corporate is headquartered in Hawthorne, California. For extra info, go to astrolab.area or comply with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
About Axiom Area
Axiom Area is constructing for past, guided by the imaginative and prescient of a thriving dwelling in area that advantages each human, in every single place. The main supplier of human spaceflight companies and developer of human-rated area infrastructure, Axiom Area operates end-to-end missions to the Worldwide Area Station right now whereas creating its successor, Axiom Station – the world’s first industrial area station in low-Earth orbit, which is able to maintain human progress off the planet and produce untold advantages again dwelling. For extra details about Axiom Area, go to axiomspace.com.
About Odyssey Area Analysis
Odyssey is an aerospace engineering and software program firm based mostly in Houston, Texas and Boulder, Colorado specializing in flight software program, simulation, techniques evaluation and security, steerage, navigation and management (GNC), flight dynamics, and operations – specializing in human-rated spacecraft and techniques. Odyssey’s mission and keenness are to advance the exploration and growth of area by delivering excessive worth, enabling options and capabilities to our clients and companions. For greater than 20 years, Odyssey has proudly contributed to the success of quite a few area tasks and missions for NASA and industrial clients and continues to take action day-after-day. Be taught extra at odysseysr.com.
NASA has awarded Astrolab a contract to develop a Lunar Terrain Automobile (LTV) which is able to assist Artemis astronauts discover extra of the Moon’s floor on future missions. The Astrolab contract is one in every of three contracts awarded by NASA as a part of the LTV challenge. Collectively, the three contracts have a complete potential worth of $4.6 billion over the following 13 years. The contracts enable for 2 further years for the completion of companies. The Astrolab rover, often known as Versatile Logistics and Exploration (FLEX), may be operated remotely from Earth even when astronauts usually are not current, or it may be operated by suited astronauts. This picture exhibits the rover in each configurations. Astrolab expects that after FLEX arrives on the lunar floor, it’ll develop into the biggest and most succesful rover to ever journey to the Moon. (Picture: Enterprise Wire)
