 "A Nasa-backed company is teaming up with SpaceX founder and billionaire Elon Musk to develop a vehicle that could make driving on the Moon a reality. File image AFP")
Forget walking on the Moon—how about a lunar road trip? Sounds unreal, right? Well, it might not be for long. A Nasa-backed company is teaming up with SpaceX founder and billionaire Elon Musk to develop a vehicle that could make driving on the Moon a reality.
Future visitors to the lunar surface may soon be able to explore its cratered landscape in an “extreme” space car, designed to tackle the brutal conditions of the Moon’s south pole—one of the most unforgiving places in the solar system.
So, what do we know about this next-gen lunar ride? Let’s take a closer look.
The ’extreme’ space car
Lunar Outpost, the company behind this futuristic Moon rover, has officially partnered with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to transport the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) to the Moon’s surface.
Designed to tackle the brutal conditions of the Moon’s south pole, the LTV will designed to withstand extreme temperature shifts—soaring up to 54 degrees Celsius in sunlight and plummeting to a freezing -203 degrees Celsius in shadowed regions.
“We will use the LTV to travel to locations we might not otherwise be able to reach on foot, increasing our ability to explore and make new scientific discoveries,” Nasa’s Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist was quoted as saying by The Sun.
Nasa has also requested that the rover be equipped with autonomous driving capabilities, allowing it to navigate the lunar terrain without human intervention.
But the LTV won’t just be working for Nasa. When it’s not on duty for the space agency, Lunar Outpost plans to use the vehicle for commercial purposes—potentially taking on private space contracts.
Currently, Nasa is collaborating with three companies to develop an LTV: Lunar Outpost, Intuitive Machines, and Venturi Astrolab. The space agency is investing up to $4.6 billion into the project.
Vanessa Wyche, director of Nasa’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, said: “We look forward to the development of the Artemis generation lunar exploration vehicle to help us advance what we learn at the Moon.
“This vehicle will greatly increase our astronauts’ ability to explore and conduct science on the lunar surface while also serving as a science platform between crewed missions.”
Is the space car a part of the Artemis mission?
Reports suggest that Lunar Outpost secured its Nasa contract in 2022 to develop a human-friendly Moon rover—one that could play a crucial role in the Artemis missions.
Artemis is Nasa’s ambitious program aimed at re-establishing a human presence on the Moon, picking up where the Apollo 17 mission left off in 1972—the last time astronauts walked on the lunar surface.
A company spokesperson expressed confidence in the collaboration, stating, “We’re confident that SpaceX is advancing the most capable launch system ever created. And will successfully land our Eagle vehicles on the surface of the Moon.”
They further added, “This contract is instrumental to accelerating Lunar Outpost’s mission of enabling a sustainable human presence in space, and we look forward to working with SpaceX to make that happen.”
According to Lunar Outpost, the vehicle will “provide surface mobility to future Nasa Artemis astronauts,” helping them navigate the challenging lunar terrain.
Nasa has also outlined that the rover must be capable enough to support lunar exploration efforts all the way through to 2039, ensuring long-term sustainability for Moon missions.
What we know about Artemis missions
Nasa’s Artemis program officially began with Artemis I in November 2022. This uncrewed mission successfully tested the Orion spacecraft and Nasa’s powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket by sending them on a journey around the Moon.
Next up is Artemis II, scheduled for April 2026. This mission will carry astronauts on a crewed flyby of the Moon, marking the first time humans travel that far since the Apollo era.
Then comes Artemis III, expected in mid-2027, which will make history as the first crewed Moon landing in over five decades.
Following that, Artemis IV, set for September 2028, will focus on expanding the upcoming Lunar Gateway—a space station that will orbit the Moon, making future lunar missions smoother and more efficient.
Nasa currently has at least 10 Artemis missions planned, stretching all the way to 2035, with the goal of creating a sustainable human presence on the Moon.
With input from agencies