NASA announces selected companies to develop lunar terrain vehicle for Artemis mission

NASA on Tuesday announced the three companies it has selected to develop a lunar terrain vehicle LTV that Artemis astronauts will use to travel around the lunar surface and conduct scientific research.

Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab have been selected to advance capabilities for an LTV. NASA's Johnson Space Center Director said that as astronauts explore the south pole region of the Moon, during our Artemis missions, they'll be able to go farther and conduct more science than ever before thanks to the lunar terrain vehicle at a news conference in Houston.

Vanessa Wyche, NASA Johnson Space Center Director  said "As astronauts explore the south pole region of the Moon, during our Artemis missions, they'll be able to go farther and conduct more science than ever before thanks to the lunar terrain vehicle.

Think of a hybrid of the Apollo-style Lunar Rover that was driven by our astronauts in an unscrewed mobile science platform. This will give the crew the capability to travel a distance much further from their landing sites. In addition, during unscrewed operations, the LTV will provide autonomous operations for science and technology." She added as the government agency is just one year away from an upcoming test flight to the lunar vicinity.