Venturi Astrolab (Astrolab) announced today that NASA has selected the company as one of two providers of a crewed lunar rover for the Artemis program, advancing the agency’s plans to establish sustained surface mobility at the lunar south pole.

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This rendering shows Astrolab’s CLV-1 rover on the lunar surface. NASA selected Astrolab as one of two providers of a crewed lunar rover for the Artemis program. Credit: Astrolab

The award follows NASA’s announcement of its Ignition initiative, which revised the agency’s approach to lunar surface mobility and called for industry to deliver smaller rovers on an accelerated timeline. In response, Astrolab adapted its FLEX rover architecture to develop a new vehicle known as the Crewed Lunar Vehicle, or CLV-1. Like FLEX, CLV-1 is designed to support astronaut operations and science activities on the Moon.

Consistent with NASA’s requirements, CLV-1 is designed primarily to transport astronauts and their supplies, rather than carry external payloads like other Astrolab rovers. The rover also can conduct certain surface operations remotely. When stowed on a Commercial Lunar Payload Services lander for delivery to the Moon, CLV-1 measures approximately 2 meters long, 2.3 meters wide, and 2.2 meters tall. Once deployed on the lunar surface, CLV-1 will measure approximately 4 meters long by 2.3 meters wide, with a height of about 2.6 meters to the top of its antenna. It has a maximum mass of 950 kilograms and can reach speeds of 10 kilometers per hour on level ground. CLV-1 is the first in Astrolab’s planned CLV line, with future vehicles expected to be designated CLV-2, CLV-3 and so on.

Under the award, Astrolab and its teammates Axiom Space, Interlune and Odyssey Space Research will deliver CLV-1 and related services capable of supporting crewed and robotic surface missions. CLV-1 uses the same tires, batteries, and battery management system developed for prior Astrolab rovers by Astrolab’s strategic partner, Venturi Space.

In 2024, NASA awarded Astrolab an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under the Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract with a potential maximum value of up to $4.6 billion. That contract made Astrolab eligible to compete for task orders over 13 years, with two additional years allowed for the completion of services. Under the task order announced today, NASA selected Astrolab as one of two providers to develop and deliver lunar rovers for use by Artemis astronauts. The task order is valued at approximately $219 million. NASA anticipates the rovers funded by these awards will reach the Moon by 2028.

“We’re honored that NASA has selected Astrolab to help provide the surface mobility astronauts will need as the Artemis program returns humanity to the Moon,” said Jaret Matthews, founder and CEO of Astrolab. “CLV-1 reflects the adaptability of our FLEX architecture and the years of testing our team has already completed. We look forward to putting that work to use for Artemis astronauts and helping establish a lasting human presence on the Moon.”

“Axiom Space is proud to support Astrolab on the Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services program as NASA advances human exploration at the lunar south pole,” said Russell Ralston, Senior Vice President, Spacecraft Development, Axiom Space. “Our EVA team brings deep experience in spacesuit integration, crew displays and controls, tool design, operations and human systems engineering to help ensure CLV-1 can support astronauts as they conduct science and exploration on the Moon.”

“It’s time to build the modern lunar industrial base,” said Rob Meyerson, Interlune CEO. “Interlune brings deep expertise in operating in the lunar environment to the Astrolab team at a moment when sustained lunar activity is moving from aspiration to execution.”

“Odyssey is proud to support Astrolab’s CLV team as NASA advances toward sustained lunar surface exploration under Artemis,” said Bryan Lunney, Odyssey COO and former NASA flight director. “By contributing our human-rated spacecraft software, simulation, systems engineering and operations expertise, we look forward to helping deliver a rover that can support astronauts on the Moon and help build the foundation for a lasting lunar economy.”

“Venturi Space is proud to support Astrolab’s CLV-1 rover with technologies designed for the extreme conditions of the lunar surface,” said Gildo Pastor, president of Venturi Space. “Our work on wheels, batteries and battery management systems reflects years of collaboration with Astrolab and our shared commitment to advancing sustained lunar exploration.”

Since unveiling its full-scale working prototype of the FLEX rover in 2022, Astrolab has conducted thousands of hours of lab and field testing, demonstrating crewed and telerobotic operations, payload deployment, and mobility performance in challenging terrain. CLV-1 draws on that FLEX heritage while reflecting NASA’s revised requirements for the next phase of Artemis surface mobility.

About Astrolab

Astrolab is on a mission to move humanity forward to the next horizon by designing, building, and operating a fleet of multi-purpose rovers for all planetary surface needs. Formed by a highly specialized team of NASA veterans, former SpaceXers and JPL engineers, Astrolab is laser-focused on providing adaptive mobility solutions essential for life beyond Earth. The team has industry leading experience in terrestrial and planetary robotics, electric vehicles, human spaceflight and more. Astrolab’s depth of experience and strategic partnerships with a wide array of world-class institutions, including electric vehicle pioneer Venturi Space, enables the delivery of Lunar and Mars mobility offerings at maximum reliability, flexibility, and cost effectiveness. The company is headquartered in Hawthorne, California. For more information, visit astrolab.space and follow us on X, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

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“We’re honored that NASA has selected Astrolab to help provide the surface mobility astronauts will need as the Artemis program returns humanity to the Moon,” said Jaret Matthews, founder and CEO of Astrolab.