NASA Looks to Private Companies to Develop New Moon Vehicles
2024-04-15
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1The American space agency NASA has announced new efforts to develop and test vehicles designed to explore the moon.
2Earlier this month, NASA said it had chosen three private companies to design lunar explorers to be used as part of its Artemis program.
3Artemis aims to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972.
4NASA has set a target landing date of September 2026 to place astronauts on the moon once again.
5NASA announced the names of three companies that will each propose designs for the new vehicles.
6They are Texas-based Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost of Colorado and Venturi Astrolab of California.
7The space agency said it will consider the designs of all three companies, but will only award one of them a development contract.
8NASA describes the explorer it wants built as a Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV).
9It said the contract involving the project would be worth up to $4.6 billion over 15 years.
10The winning company will be expected to produce a full demonstration vehicle.
11The company Intuitive Machines developed a private moon lander that successfully touched down on the moon in February.
12The company announced late last month that the lander, called Odysseus, had powered down permanently after carrying out several research experiments.
13Jacob Bleacher is NASA's chief exploration scientist.
14He told reporters the LTV will be an important step in establishing "a longer-term exploration and presence on the moon."
15He added, "I like to imagine the views and the vistas that the LTV will enable us to see from the surface of the moon."
16NASA said it will aim to launch the LTV for astronaut activities on the moon during Artemis V.
17This part of the Artemis program is currently set for 2030, NASA's latest budget request shows.
18NASA said it plans to test the vehicle on the surface of the moon before Artemis V arrives.
19Astronauts will use the LTV "to travel around the lunar surface, conducting scientific research during the agency's Artemis campaign at the moon and preparing for human missions to Mars," NASA said.
20NASA officials say the LTV will need to be able to survive the extreme conditions found at the Artemis landing site at the moon's South Pole.
21This will require the vehicle to have a strong and dependable power system and the latest in communications and navigation technologies.
22The vehicle will also need the ability to explore the moon on its own without astronaut drivers.
23The LTV will carry out exploration activities including transporting scientific equipment and collecting materials on the lunar surface.
24NASA said these abilities will permit astronauts to carry out research activities in a very wide area.
25"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," Bleacher said.
26NASA said the contract includes technical services as well as equipment.
27The agency said all the companies chosen had agreed to carry out the agency's exact technical requirements for the LTV.
28Venturi Astrolab said its planned vehicle, called FLEX, is designed to carry two astronauts, support scientific exploration with a robotic arm...and withstand the extreme temperatures at the lunar South Pole."
29Lunar Outpost said it was working with partners including American companies Lockheed Martin, General Motors, Goodyear and Canada's MDA Space.
30Lunar Outpost leader Justin Cyrus told the French news agency AFP that the company plans to use its expertise in technology and the automotive industry "to provide a true off-road vehicle capable of allowing us to live and work on the surface of the moon."
31Lunar Outpost is planning to put a small, crewless explorer on the Moon later this year, as part of Intuitive Machines' next lander mission.
32I'm Bryan Lynn.
1The American space agency NASA has announced new efforts to develop and test vehicles designed to explore the moon. 2Earlier this month, NASA said it had chosen three private companies to design lunar explorers to be used as part of its Artemis program. Artemis aims to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972. NASA has set a target landing date of September 2026 to place astronauts on the moon once again. 3NASA announced the names of three companies that will each propose designs for the new vehicles. They are Texas-based Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost of Colorado and Venturi Astrolab of California. The space agency said it will consider the designs of all three companies, but will only award one of them a development contract. 4NASA describes the explorer it wants built as a Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV). It said the contract involving the project would be worth up to $4.6 billion over 15 years. The winning company will be expected to produce a full demonstration vehicle. 5The company Intuitive Machines developed a private moon lander that successfully touched down on the moon in February. The company announced late last month that the lander, called Odysseus, had powered down permanently after carrying out several research experiments. 6Jacob Bleacher is NASA's chief exploration scientist. He told reporters the LTV will be an important step in establishing "a longer-term exploration and presence on the moon." He added, "I like to imagine the views and the vistas that the LTV will enable us to see from the surface of the moon." 7NASA said it will aim to launch the LTV for astronaut activities on the moon during Artemis V. This part of the Artemis program is currently set for 2030, NASA's latest budget request shows. NASA said it plans to test the vehicle on the surface of the moon before Artemis V arrives. 8Astronauts will use the LTV "to travel around the lunar surface, conducting scientific research during the agency's Artemis campaign at the moon and preparing for human missions to Mars," NASA said. 9NASA officials say the LTV will need to be able to survive the extreme conditions found at the Artemis landing site at the moon's South Pole. This will require the vehicle to have a strong and dependable power system and the latest in communications and navigation technologies. 10The vehicle will also need the ability to explore the moon on its own without astronaut drivers. The LTV will carry out exploration activities including transporting scientific equipment and collecting materials on the lunar surface. NASA said these abilities will permit astronauts to carry out research activities in a very wide area. 11"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," Bleacher said. 12NASA said the contract includes technical services as well as equipment. The agency said all the companies chosen had agreed to carry out the agency's exact technical requirements for the LTV. 13Venturi Astrolab said its planned vehicle, called FLEX, is designed to carry two astronauts, support scientific exploration with a robotic arm...and withstand the extreme temperatures at the lunar South Pole." 14Lunar Outpost said it was working with partners including American companies Lockheed Martin, General Motors, Goodyear and Canada's MDA Space. 15Lunar Outpost leader Justin Cyrus told the French news agency AFP that the company plans to use its expertise in technology and the automotive industry "to provide a true off-road vehicle capable of allowing us to live and work on the surface of the moon." 16Lunar Outpost is planning to put a small, crewless explorer on the Moon later this year, as part of Intuitive Machines' next lander mission. 17I'm Bryan Lynn. 18Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from NASA and Agence France-Presse. 19___________________________________________ 20Words in This Story 21terrain - n. a particular kind of land 22vista - n. a pleasing view, especially one enjoyed from a high place 23conduct - v. to organize or do something 24location - n. a place or position; site 25allow - v. to permit