More than 50 years ago, US astronauts drove over the moon in convertibles. In just a year and a half, engineers had developed the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which was used on the last three Apollo missions. Now they are in demand again.
In 2029, NASA wants to bring astronauts to the moon again and with them a vehicle. On Wednesday, the American space agency announced which three companies could now enter the race to build the Lunar Terrain Vehicle. Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab now have a year to develop prototypes. Then NASA wants to decide which model to commission. NASA plans to spend a total of $4.6 billion on the development and construction of the lunar vehicle.
Even during the last manned lunar missions Apollo 15, Apollo 16 and Apollo 17 in 1971 and 1972, the US astronauts no longer had to cover all routes on the moon on foot. With the Lunar Roving Vehicle, two crew members covered around 30 kilometers per mission on the surface of the Earth’s satellite to transport research equipment and bring hundreds of kilograms of rock material to the lander. The astronauts were only allowed to travel a maximum of five to seven kilometers from their base so that they could reach it in time if their portable life support system failed.
Lunar Vehicle: In the 1960s, US companies competed for the best electric car on behalf of NASA
Even in the 1960s there was fierce competition as to which company was allowed to build the prestigious lunar vehicle. The aircraft manufacturer Boeing ultimately won the contract, which in turn involved the development laboratory of its competitor General Motors. The development time was very short at just 17 months, but the engineers still achieved a technical masterpiece. The convertible, made mostly of aluminum, was easy to stow in the lander and unfolded as desired after landing. The tires were particularly crucial to success. With their metal mesh they found enough support on the ground. What didn’t work right away was the control of the two axes. Nevertheless, the three moon cars used proved to be a great success. Since the landing sites of the three missions were quite far apart, the vehicles could not be reused. They all stayed behind on the moon.