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It may look a lot like a giant baby carriage, but this strange-looking lunar vehicle is actually a new prototype for transporting astronauts across the lunar surface in the coming decades.
Aerospace startup Venturi Astrolab has designed a lunar craft capable of bending and lifting payloads from lunar soil, before carrying it under its belly and depositing the cargo at the desired location.
According to Astrolab’s website, which specializes in space innovations, the lunar module is specifically designed to handle the terrain of the moon and might one day be used to transport humans around Mars.
In a statement, the company said it wanted to help NASA and commercial companies establish a long-term presence on the Moon, but did not disclose the cost of the rover.
The rover, dubbed FLEX, can be remotely controlled, maneuverable semi-autonomous, and even modified to include a crew interface so that astronauts can ride on board as they drive across the surface of the Moon.
Work on the lunar module was carried out by a team of pioneers in the manufacture of planetary vehicles and robotics experts in the United States of America.
“For humanity to truly live and operate in a sustainable way off land, there is a need to have an efficient and economical transportation network all the way from the launch pad to human settlement,” said Garrett Matthews, founder and CEO of the company.
NASA is currently seeking to put the first woman and the next man on the moon later this decade, following the mission was planned to be launched between 2024 and 2025.
Meanwhile, billionaire entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are developing landers to take people to the moon’s surface through their companies, SpaceX and Blue Origin, as well as looking into the possibility of longer missions to Mars.
Last year, NASA launched a call for companies to come up with designs for a “lunar terrain vehicle.”
Artemis that might carry astronauts to the moon.
