NASA taps 2 companies to develop buggies for its moon base program NASA has selected Astrolab and Lunar Outpost to develop new lunar rovers for its moon base program, which aims to establish a base near the lunar south pole over the next seven years. These next-generation vehicles, inspired by both the Apollo Lunar Rover and modern Mars rovers, will be capable of autonomous operation or carrying astronauts and supplies for extended missions. The project faces potential setbacks due to a recent explosion of Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket, which is crucial for delivering the rovers.

• NASA is investing approximately $220 million each in Astrolab and Lunar Outpost to build moon rovers.
• The rovers are intended for a moon base planned for development near the lunar south pole over the next seven years.
• Astrolab’s rover, FLEX, will be a four-wheel-drive electric vehicle capable of autonomous roving or carrying two astronauts and supplies.
• Lunar Outpost’s rover is named Pegasus.
• These new rovers aim to be a combination of the Apollo Lunar Rover’s capability to carry astronauts and modern rovers’ remote operability.
• Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket, essential for delivering the rovers, recently experienced an explosion during testing.
• Lunar Outpost sees potential for commercial use of the moon beyond NASA’s needs.