Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and General Motors (NYSE: GM) have partnered to construct a lunar rover to enable astronauts to explore the moon’s surface in support of NASA’s Artemis program.
“Surface mobility is critical to enable and sustain long-term exploration of the lunar surface,” Rick Ambrose, executive vice president of Lockheed’s space business and a 2021 Wash100 Award recipient, said in a statement published Wednesday.
“These next-generation rovers will dramatically extend the range of astronauts as they perform high-priority science investigation on the Moon that will ultimately impact humanity’s understanding of our place in the solar system,” Ambrose added.
Lockheed will lead the team and contribute its more than five decades of experience working on deep space robotic and human spacecraft with NASA. General Motors will bring to the team its autonomous technology and experience in electric vehicle development.
In February 2020, NASA asked industry for ideas for the development of a lunar terrain vehicle, which is one of the types of surface mobility vehicles that could be used to support the Artemis program.
