NASA has selected three companies – Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab – to develop a Lunar Vehicle (LTV) for Artemis program astronauts. According to plans, up to $4.6 billion could be spent on these tasks over the next 13 years. This decision opens a new chapter in the study of the moon, especially its south pole, which is believed to be rich in frozen water.
All three companies were shortlisted for their innovative potential and will undertake the development of LTVs adapted to safely transport two astronauts in spacesuits across the challenging landscape of the Moon’s south pole. In addition, NASA will need to be able to remotely control it to continue to conduct research even during the absence of astronauts on the Earth’s satellite.
The next step for contractors will be to order a feasibility study, which will be a one-year special study to develop a system that meets NASA’s pre-design requirements. The companies are then expected to submit proposals for the demonstration mission, which will aim to deliver LTVs directly to the Moon and prove their performance and safety before the Artemis V mission is launched.
“We will use the LTV to travel to places we would otherwise not be able to reach on foot, which will expand our ability to explore and make new scientific discoveries,” said Jacob Bleacher, chief research scientist in the Research Systems Development Office at NASA Headquarters. in Washington.
One of the contractors, Intuitive Machines, recently gained international attention by becoming the first private aerospace company to land a spacecraft on the moon after a US hiatus of more than 50 years, although the spacecraft fell on its side.
The mission of the Artemis program is to strengthen humanity’s presence on the Moon as a prelude to future missions to Mars. A new step in the development of the moon was made after Mike Pence, who held the position of vice president of the United States at the time, set a goal for NASA to land astronauts on the moon by 2024. Subsequently, the dates for the implementation of the Artemis II and III missions were revised and moved to September 2025 and September 2026, respectively.
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