Lunar Terrain Vehicle
As astronauts explore the South Pole region of the Moon during Artemis missions, they will be able to go farther and conduct more science than ever before thanks to a new lunar terrain vehicle.
The lunar terrain vehicle will take us further than ever before.
Human mobility on the lunar surface is crucial for enhancing scientific discovery on each mission and preparing for planetary mobility on Mars. Instead of owning the vehicle, NASA plans to contract it as a service from industry. The LTV will be the ultimate lunar surface terrain vehicle with advanced power management, autonomous driving, state of the art communications and navigation systems, along with other extreme environment technologies that will provide the ability to collect and conduct science while keeping astronauts and the vehicle safe and ready for its next mission.
Quick Facts
The LTV will function like a cross between an Apollo-style lunar rover and a Mars-style uncrewed rover.
As the Lunar Roving Vehicle did for the Apollo Program, the LTV will greatly expand human reach and scientific research on the Moon for future surface missions.
The LTV also can be operated remotely to transport cargo and science payloads to new landing sites between crew missions, enabling significant science returns by combining the best of human and robotic exploration.
NASA Prepares for Lunar Terrain Vehicle Testing
As crewed Artemis missions near, engineers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston are designing an unpressurized rover prototype, known as the Ground Test Unit. The test unit will employ a flexible architecture to simulate and evaluate different rover concepts for use beginning with Artemis V.
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NASA Selects Companies to Advance Moon Mobility
NASA has selected Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab to advance capabilities for a lunar terrain vehicle (LTV) that Artemis astronauts will use to travel around the lunar surface, conducting scientific research during the agency’s Artemis campaign at the Moon and preparing for human missions to Mars.
Learn More about NASA Selects Companies to Advance Moon Mobility
Lunar Terrain Vehicle Image Gallery
Lunar Terrain Vehicle News
Videos
The Lunar Roving Vehicle
The Lunar Roving Vehicle was an electric vehicle designed to operate in the low-gravity vacuum of the Moon and to be capable of traversing the lunar surface, allowing the Apollo astronauts to extend the range of their surface extravehicular activities. This archival video chronicles the early history of that program as well as its deployment as part of the Apollo 15 mission.
