Current:Home > reviewsArtemis astronauts will need a lunar terrain vehicle on the moon. NASA is set to reveal the designer -MarketStream
Artemis astronauts will need a lunar terrain vehicle on the moon. NASA is set to reveal the designer
View
Date:2025-04-13 00:31:19
For the first time in five decades, American astronauts are on the cusp of returning to the moon.
NASA's Artemis missions, the first lunar program since the Apollo era, aims to send astronauts back to the moon ahead of the larger goal of one day reaching Mars. And when the day comes in about two years that those intrepid explorers make it to the lunar surface, they'll need a vehicle that can help them navigate the celestial body's crater-pocked terrain.
NASA will reveal the companies that will be involved in designing that vehicle during a Wednesday afternoon press conference.
The announcement will be widely available for the public to view. Here's how to watch, and what to know about the historic Artemis lunar missions ahead.
Solar eclipse:NASA is launching 3 sounding rockets into space during the total solar eclipse
Why NASA needs a lunar terrain vehicle
NASA began seeking proposals in May for a next-generation lunar terrain vehicle (LTV) to help astronauts traverse and transport cargo across the moon's unexplored south polar region during upcoming Artemis missions.
The vehicle, which would be used for crewed operations beginning with Artemis V in 2029, is intended to be a cross between an Apollo-era lunar rover and an uncrewed Mars rover like Perseverance or Curiosity, NASA said. Giving the vehicle robotic, remote operation capabilities will allow for scientific tests and exploration to continue even when astronauts are not present on the moon, according to NASA.
NASA had asked companies to create proposed designs that accommodate two suited astronauts and include a robotic arm or other mechanism. The vehicle will also need to be able to survive the extreme temperatures of the lunar south pole, a region where water ice is thought to be abundant.
Water ice in the region would not only help sustain astronauts on the surface, but it also would be a source of hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel as NASA looks ahead to missions to Mars.
“We want to leverage industry’s knowledge and innovation, combined with NASA’s history of successfully operating rovers, to make the best possible surface rover for our astronaut crews and scientific researchers,” Lara Kearney, manager of NASA’s Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility program, previously said in a statement.
How to watch NASA's lunar vehicle announcement
The televised event will take place at 4 p.m. EST Wednesday at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The news conference will air live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, and the U.S. space agency’s website.
A live stream of the event will also be available on NASA's official YouTube channel.
Watch it here:
Astronauts will return to moon as part of Artemis missions
In previous years, NASA and space agencies in other nations have once again set their sights on the moon in a renewed interest in reaching the lunar surface.
For the United States, American astronauts have not set foot on the moon since the last Apollo mission in 1972. NASA's Artemis program hopes to get the nation back to the moon to establish a base of operations ahead of crewed trips to Mars.
NASA had intended to launch its Artemis II astronauts into orbit by the end of the year on a 10-day trip circumnavigating the moon, ahead of a moon landing itself a year later for Artemis III. But the Artemis program missions have since been delayed by at least a year after NASA encountered a slew of issues, including a battery flaw on the vehicle that will ferry astronauts to the moon.
In the meantime, preparations have continued to ensure the program stays on track.
In February, Houston-based Intuitive Machines became the first private company to ever land an uncrewed spacecraft on the moon's surface. NASA, which was the primary customer for the mission, paid a hefty sum to have a payload of scientific instruments included aboard the lander to collect data that will help the agency prepare for its own lunar missions.
And in mid-March, SpaceX conducted its most successful test yet of the Starship rocket that will one day ferry U.S. astronauts to the moon's surface. NASA had awarded the company a $2.9 billion contract in 2021 to develop the first commercial human lander for its Artemis III mission.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]
veryGood! (6977)
Related
- Jury finds man guilty of sending 17-year-old son to rob and kill rapper PnB Rock
- Georgia official seeks more school safety money after Apalachee High shooting
- 'Jackass' star Steve-O says he scrapped breast implants prank after chat with trans stranger
- Emily Gold, teen dancer on 'America's Got Talent,' dead at 17
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- Justin Timberlake Shares Tour Update After Reaching Deal in DWI Case
- Boar's Head listeria outbreak timeline: When it started, deaths, lawsuits, factory closure
- Takeaways from AP’s report on a new abortion clinic in rural southeast Kansas
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- An 8-Year-Old Stole Her Mom's Car for a Joyride to Target—Then Won Over the Internet
Ranking
- Boy who wandered away from his 5th birthday party found dead in canal, police say
- Detroit Red Wings sign Lucas Raymond to 8-year contract worth more than $8M per year
- 90 Day Fiancé’s Big Ed Brown Engaged to Porscha Raemond 24 Hours After Meeting at Fan Event
- Trump will soon be able to sell shares in Truth Social’s parent company. What’s at stake?
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Rutgers president plans to leave top job at New Jersey’s flagship university
- Kate Hudson Shares How She's Named After Her Uncle
- Harry Potter Actress Katie Leung Is Joining Bridgerton Season 4—as a Mom
Recommendation
Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
Why Josh Gad Regrets Using His Voice for Frozen's Olaf
Martha Stewart Is Releasing Her 100th Cookbook: Here’s How You Can Get a Signed Copy
'He didn't blink': Kirk Cousins defies doubters to lead Falcons' wild comeback win vs. Eagles
New Orleans mayor’s former bodyguard making first court appearance after July indictment
Footage for Simone Biles' Netflix doc could be smoking gun in Jordan Chiles' medal appeal
Sean 'Diddy' Combs arrested in New York following sex trafficking investigation
Scroll Through TikTok Star Remi Bader’s Advice for Finding Your Happiness