DETROIT—General Motors and Lockheed Martin plan to develop a next-generation lunar rover for NASA’s upcoming Artemis mission. The electric Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) will enable astronauts to explore the lunar surface farther than ever.
Unlike the Apollo rovers that only traveled 5 miles from the landing site, the new vehicles will be designed to support the first excursions of the Moon’s south pole, where it is cold and dark with more rugged terrain.
“This alliance brings together powerhouse innovation from both companies to make a transformative class of vehicles,” says Rick Ambrose, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Space. “Surface mobility is critical to enable and sustain long-term exploration of the lunar surface.
“These next-generation rovers will dramatically extend the range of astronauts as they perform high-priority investigations on the Moon that will ultimately impact humanity’s understanding of our place in the solar system,” explains Ambrose.
“General Motors made history by applying advanced technologies and engineering to support the Lunar Rover Vehicle that the Apollo 15 astronauts drove on the Moon,” adds Alan Wexler, senior vice president of innovation and growth at GM. “Working together with Lockheed Martin and their deep-space exploration expertise, we plan to support American astronauts on the Moon once again.”
