Cars on the Moon! NASA Tests Vehicle for Lunar Surface

As part of the Artemis mission, NASA is developing a new unpressurized lunar vehicle that will allow astronauts to explore the Moon's surface and make various scientific discoveries.

As part of the Artemis mission, NASA is developing a new unpressurized lunar vehicle that will allow astronauts to explore the Moon's surface and make various scientific discoveries.

Engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston are creating a prototype of an unpressurized rover, named the Ground Test Unit (GTU), to prepare for upcoming crewed Artemis missions. This testing unit will utilize a versatile structure to model and evaluate various rover ideas planned for use starting with Artemis V.

In April 2024, NASA selected three companies—Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab—as part of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract. These companies will provide rover capabilities for astronauts on the Moon. Although the testing unit will not be sent to the Moon, its results will help create additional rover prototypes, enabling NASA and the companies to advance their technologies until one provider is ready for production.

Data obtained from GTU testing will also be used by NASA and commercial companies to further develop their rover designs. The GTU will serve as an engineering test platform for LTV providers to test crew compartment design, rover maintenance, and payload science integration, among other aspects.

Jeff Somers, the engineering lead for the GTU, noted that this unit will help NASA teams test and understand rover operations on the lunar surface before Artemis missions. The GTU allows NASA to make informed purchasing decisions and test rover operations in collaboration with LTV contractors and their hardware.

The requirements of the LTV contractors align with the capabilities of the current GTU. Like the testing unit, the vendor-created LTV should accommodate two crew members, be capable of remote operation, and incorporate various control concepts, including drive modes, self-leveling, and supervised autonomy. Testing the capabilities of NASA's lunar vehicle prototype on Earth allows multiple teams to gain engineering experience with rover hardware.

Following the success of the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle in the 1970s, NASA has developed new concept vehicles for the next generation, like the GTU. Test vehicles like the GTU with crews on Earth assist NASA in discovering novel ways for astronauts to live and work safely and efficiently on the Moon, and eventually on Mars. As vendor designs progress, testing can occur before missions go to the Moon, utilizing contracted LTV and GTU. The presence of vehicles on the lunar surface enables NASA to mitigate certain risks associated with adopting new technologies or implementing specific rover design features.

Human mobility on the lunar surface aids in expanding the range of exploration, enabling missions to conduct more research and enhance their contribution to the scientific community. NASA plans to use the Artemis missions to send astronauts to the Moon for scientific research, technological advancement, economic opportunities, and to prepare for future missions to Mars, with a focus on diversity.