Hawthorne-based aerospace firm Venturi Astrolab, also called Astrolab, has signed an agreement with SpaceX to launch in mid-2026 what could become the largest and most capable rover to ever travel to the Moon. SpaceX will launch Astrolab’s Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover as part of an upcoming mission to the Moon, aboard the Starship launch and landing system. 

All you need to know about FLEX

The FLEX rover has a maximum combined rover and cargo mass of more than two tonnes, Astrolab said in a statement dated March 31, 2023. Due to its large size, FLEX has the potential to conduct more scientific experiments and commercial endeavours on the Moon, compared to other rovers. 

The aerospace firm has signed several customer agreements to transport payloads to the Moon as part of the mission, and expects to release details of these agreements later this spring. 

FLEX is not just a rover, but a logistics system for missions to the Moon and Mars, Astrolab says on its website. Planetary rovers launched so far were designed specifically for certain missions, which have typically occurred once every ten years. 

However, over the years, launch capabilities have increased greatly, and so has the payload capacity of launch vehicles. Therefore, the approach of designing a rover for only a specific mission is no longer practical or efficient, according to Astrolab.

With the intention to prove the benefits of having a highly capable and versatile rover to establish infrastructure, deploy technology demonstrations and specialised systems, and conduct high-priority science experiments on the lunar surface, Astrolab designed the FLEX rover.

The aerospace company aims for this rover to be the first in a fleet of FLEX rovers on the Moon that will pave the way to creating a permanent human presence on the Moon, and eventually Mars. 

In the statement, Jaret Matthews, Founder and CEO of Astrolab, the aerospace firm’s team has created much more than a rover for use on the Moon or Mars, and a logistics system that can accommodate a wide variety of cargo.

Matthews said Astrolab hopes that this approach will help establish a permanent lunar outpost on the Moon at a lower cost and in less time than previously envisioned. He also expressed delight at the fact that this contract with SpaceX will allow aerospace to demonstrate the advantages of the FLEX rover and its modular payload system.

Tom Ochinero, Senior Vice President, Commercial Business, SpaceX, said Starship is designed to transport large amounts of cargo, including rovers, to the Moon and Mars for research and exploration, and developing sustainable outposts will require lunar logistics and transportation on the surface of the Moon, like what Astrolab offers. 

Not only will Astrolab be able to operate FLEX on the lunar surface from Earth, but the firm has also designed the vehicle in a way such that it will serve as an unpressurised rover for a crew of two astronauts on the Moon. 

Astrolab claims that FLEX is the ‘rover that will build the lunar economy’. FLEX can bring up to 1,500 kilograms of three cubic metres of customers’ cargo to the Moon. The rover not only has a massive capacity, but also unlimited capability. 

According to Astrolab, the rover can provide an array of services to the firm’s customers including power, thermal manager, data and deployment with FLEX’s robotic arm.

FLEX’s design is compatible with NASA’s requirements for its Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), an unenclosed rover that Artemis astronauts can drive on the Moon while wearing spacesuits, and will last at least 10 years, so that it can be used for multiple Artemis missions.

FLEX’s tests are still going on

The testing of FLEX is still going on. Astrolab started testing a full-scale, full-functional terrestrial prototype of the FLEX rover in the California desert in 2022. 

Astrolab performed both crewed and telerobotic operations, and tested the deployment of a variety of large payloads, and science operations with its robotic arm. The firm also performed engineering testing of FLEX’s mobility performance in challenging terrain.

Astrolab is continuing tests in lunar analogue sites around California.