NASA Selects 3 Companies to Develop Next-Generation Lunar Rovers for Future Moon Missions

NASA has selected 3 companies to develop new lunar rovers Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab. The contracts are worth up to $4.6 billion.

The new rovers need to be able to operate autonomously between crewed missions to serve as "science platforms."

Intuitive Machines' design is called Moon Reusable Autonomous Crewed Exploration Rover (MRACER).

Lunar Outpost's rover is called Lunar Dawn and uses a "flight deck forward" design.

Venturi Astrolab's rover is called FLEX and is the only one so far to have a working prototype. It's scheduled to go to the moon with SpaceX's Starship in 2026.