FORGET the latest tarmac-tearing Lambo or racy EV – space cars are on the horizon, and we’re already seeing what they’ll look like.
As the prospect of a real Moon colony nears and space agencies cast their minds to humans visiting Mars, Nasa and future-gazing companies are developing vehicles fit to carry humans across these alien landscapes.
Here are some of the ways you might find yourself cruising around the Moon or Mars – if you ever make it there.
INTUITIVE MACHINES LTV RACER
First up is the Intuitive Machines RACER, which stands for Reusable Autonomous Crewed Exploration Rover. We prefer the initialism.
It’s an LTV or Lunar Terrain Vehicle, and will be capable of carrying two astronauts plus nearly 900lbs of cargo.
And on top of that, it can also pull a trailer with an extra 1,764lbs of gear.
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It’s designed for Nasa’s Artemis program, which is the USA‘s bold and ongoing quest to return humans to the Moon – and eventually have persistent occupation of the lunar surface.
But the Moon is very large, so astronauts will need a way to whiz around – and Intuitive Machines is one of three companies chosen by Nasa to develop an LTV.
The vehicle will be fitted with a rechargeable electric battery, and even a fully robotic arm.
Its lunar wheels will operate at north of 100C and below -240C to survive the brutal lunar environment.
It will also be able to autonomously navigate around the Moon using LiDAR and “perception software”.
“There are long stretches when astronauts are not present on the Moon,” said Inuitive Machines LTV boss Gary Spexarth.
“And we believe autonomous driving is key to continuous science research and commercial activity.
“This capability allows the vehicle to work for other customers to conduct surveys, transport cargo, scout terrain, and collect valuable data between Artemis missions, increasing the value of every lunar mission, even when no one is around.”
The car has been engineered in partnership with some top businesses including Boeing, Michelin, and Northrop Grumman.
PARKER BROTHERS CONCEPT
Back in 2017, Nasa showed off a futuristic Mars rover concept.
Sadly this one isn’t actually the vehicle that will go to Mars – we’re still a long way off that.
But it acted as a demo of how a Mars truck might eventually look.
It was created by Parker Brothers Concepts, who worked with Nasa experts to create the special rover.
The vehicle would run on an electric motor and come fittedf with solar panels and a 700-volt battery.
“The rover separates in the middle with the front area designed for scouting and equipped with a radio and navigation provided by the Global Positioning System,” Nasa explained.
“The back section serves as a laboratory which can disconnect for autonomous research.
“While this exact rover is not expected to operate on Mars, it depicts concept features that may someday be incorporated into a rover astronauts will drive on the Red Planet.”
This massive rover is 28 feet long, 14 feet wide, 11 feet tall, and weighs in at roughly 5,000 pounds.
And it would have a claimed top speed of 70mph, but would go much slower during Martian exploration.
VENTURI ASTROLAB LTV FLEX
Another contender for must-have lunar car is the Venturi Astrolab LTV.
It’s meant to help Moon visitors explore the lunar planet, and also received Nasa funding.
The vehicle would be able to carry two suited astronauts, and also features a robotic arm for exploration.
It would be a rugged vehicle that can “survive the extreme temperatures at the Lunar South Pole“, its creators say.
The official name is the FLEX, or Flexible Logistics and Exploration Rover.
“Once FLEX arrives on the Lunar surface, Astrolab expects that FLEX will become the largest and most capable rover to ever travel to the Moon,” Venturi Astrolab explained.
“With a maximum combined rover and cargo mass of more than two tons, the FLEX Rover is nearly three times the mass of its largest predecessor.”
The Moon – our closest neighbour explained
Here’s what you need to know…
- The Moon is a natural satellite – a space-faring body that orbits a planet
- It’s Earth’s only natural satellite, and is the fifth biggest in the Solar System
- The Moon measures 2,158 miles across, roughly 0.27 times the diameter of Earth
- Temperatures on the Moon range from minus 173 degrees Celcius to 260 degrees Celcius
- Experts assumed the Moon was another planet, until Nicolaus Copernicus outlined his theory about our Solar System in 1543
- It was eventually assigned to a “class” after Galileo discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610
- The Moon is believed to have formed around 4.51billion years ago
- The strength of its gravitational field is about a sixth of Earth’s gravity
- Earth and the Moon have “synchronous rotation”, which means we always see the same side of the Moon – hence the phrase “dark side of the Moon”
- The Moon’s surface is actually dark, but appears bright in the sky due to its reflective ground
- During a solar eclipse, the Moon covers the Sun almost completely. Both objects appear a similar size in the sky because the Sun is both 400 times larger and farther
- The first spacecraft to reach the Moon was in 1959, as part of the Soviet Union’s Lunar program
- The first manned orbital mission was Nasa’s Apollo 8 in 1968
- And the first manned lunar landing was in 1969, as part of the Apollo 11 mission
As well as carrying astronauts, the Venturi rover can be piloted remotely from Earth.
And it can even drive itself around the Moon without any human intervention.
“We have created much more than a rover for use on the Moon or Mars,” Venturi explained.
“Our rover is a logistics system capable of handling a wide variety of cargo.
“We believe that this approach will enable a permanent lunar outpost to be established on the Moon at a lower cost and in less time than expected.”
It’s expected to be capable of operating for “a fortnight in the darkness of the South Pole of the Moon”.
And it was created by a team that includes Nasa veterans and former SpaceX employees.
LUNAR OUTPOST LTV LUNAR DAWN
Last but certainly not least is the Lunar Outpost LTV Lunar Dawn.
This is described as an “advanced off-road rover” for Moon dwellers – including the Artemis astronauts.
Lunar Outpost says it’s “the most capable crewed and cargo transport ever built for the Moon, Mars, and beyond”.
It’s being built in partnership with Lockheed Martin, with help from General Motors and Goodyear (the tire company).
“The diverse team combines proven robotic and human space exploration heritage, cutting-edge technology and automotive industry strengths to create a true off-road vehicle for living and working on the Moon’s surface,” Lunar Outpost says.
The vehicle is meant to extend the range that astronauts can travel from their landing sites on the Moon.
And it’ll function not only as an exploration vehicle, but will also be used for scientific investigations and “commercial services”.
The vehicle will take astronauts, but will also be capable of navigating and operating on its own.
It will have a reconfigurable cargo bed for different payloads, and also comes fitted with a robotic arm.
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And Lunar Outpost promises that it will be able to function during lunar nights that last for two weeks, in temperatures as low as -200C.
“This novel technology extends mission life from days to many years,” Lunar Outpost noted.
