While its next-generation rocket hasn’t flown yet, that’s not stopping SpaceX from booking Starship flights. On Friday, a startup called Astrolab which had recently signed a deal with Elon Musk’s private space firm to reserve a spot on an uncrewed Starship cargo mission that could launch in mid-2026. “This is SpaceX’s first commercial cargo contract to the lunar surface.” said Jaret Matthews, CEO of Astrolab, adding that his company was one of the few customers involved in the flight.
Astrolab is building a vehicle that it hopes will one day transport equipment, supplies and people across the lunar surface. The Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover is about the size of a Jeep Wrangler, making it slightly larger than NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars. It also has a robotic arm to help with loading and can travel up to 15 miles per hour. Oh, and FLEX can carry up to two astronauts.
Once it lands on the Moon, Astrolab claims FLEX will become the largest rover to travel the lunar surface. matthews said The times Astrolab already has customers hoping to use the rover to transport cargo during the Starship 2026 mission. Looking further into the future, Matthews said FLEX could help build a permanent human presence on the Moon and beyond. “Ultimately, our goal is to have a fleet of rovers on both the Moon and Mars,” she said. “And I really think I see these vehicles as the ultimate catalysts for the alien economy.”
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