The trio will develop their team's ideas for a Lunar Land Vehicle (LTV) to help astronauts explore the Moon's south polar region. The area is believed to contain frozen water, so it makes sense for NASA to establish base camp there.
The three must design vehicles that can accommodate two clothed astronauts and withstand the area's extreme conditions. They must also have remote operation and robotics capabilities so that NASA can continue testing and exploration even when astronauts are not on the Moon.
The next step for them is to undertake “a feasibility task order, which will be a year-long special study to develop a system that meets NASA requirements during the preliminary design maturity phase of the project.” NASA will then request a proposal for a demonstration mission to continue development, deliver its LTV to the surface of the Moon, and then validate performance and safety ahead of the Artemis V mission.
“We will use the LTV to travel to places we could not otherwise reach on foot, increasing our ability to explore and make new scientific discoveries.” saying Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist in the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “With crewed Artemis missions, and during remote operations when there is no crew on the surface, we are enabling science and discovery on the Moon year-round.”
Intuitive Machines recently made headlines after becoming the first private aerospace company to land a spacecraft on the Moon. It was also the first US lunar lander to reach the Moon's surface in more than 50 years, albeit sideways.
NASA's Artemis program aims to create a sustainable presence near the Moon ahead of its broader goal of one day preparing for human missions to Mars. The initiative was launched after former Vice President Mike Pence challenged NASA to land people on the Moon by 2024. The Artemis II mission has since been postponed until September 2025, and the lander mission, Artemis III, is now It is scheduled for September 2026.
