NASA just took a major step toward its next manned mission to the moon. After a long process, America’s space agency has selected three finalists for designing the next-generation lunar rover: Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab, all of which are backed by some huge names. NASA’s first honest-to-goodness space car in more than 50 years will support the Artemis missions, an ongoing program of manned and unmanned lunar missions that began with the uncrewed Artemis I in 2022. NASA plans to send astronauts and their new whip to the moon in 2030.
The chance to build America's next Space Car drew interest from some surprising sources. Even NASCAR tried to grab a piece, in partnership with tech firm Leidos. The winners are no less eccentric. Venturi's version should at least be quick: The company is best known for exotic, high-performance EVs, notably developing the body for Formula E racers. Lunar Outpost has GM and Goodyear on side, so expect lunar drag races. Intuitive Machines' core offer is "what if Uber, but space?", running a rideshare program allowing multiple private-sector customers to pack their payloads onto the same rocket.
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