Venturi Astrolab, Inc. has been awarded a major NASA contract worth up to €1.75 billion. The US company, which famously developed the FLEX rover alongside its Monaco-based strategic partner, the Venturi Group, will now play a crucial role in the development of the Artemis campaign’s next-generation lunar terrain vehicle.

The project, which comes with an overall budget in the region of €4.2 billion and could last as long as 13 years, will be a collaborative affair, drawing on the expertise of Venturi Astrolab as well as its “teammates”: Axiom Space, Inc., and Odyssey Space Research.

Together, they will be tasked with “advancing the development of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), which will help Artemis astronauts explore more of the Moon’s surface on future missions”.

New era in space exploration

Gildo Pastor, the president of the Venturi Group, said of the news: “To be a part of this monumental phase in lunar exploration, with our technology being validated by NASA, is incredibly fulfilling. It’s a momentous leap from our historical focus on terrestrial mobility to now contributing to the Artemis missions… Through our strategic partnership with Astrolab, I am proud to see the Venturi Group’s know-how validated by NASA. After 20 years of innovation and world records in the field of terrestrial electric vehicles, we are now involved in an adventure that will go down in the history books: when Man returns to the Moon! When I see this rover, equipped with our wheels and batteries, operating up there I will have made my greatest dream come true.”

Meanwhile, Jaret Matthews, the founder and CEO of Venturi Astrolab, has emphasised the importance of collaboration and partnership in achieving NASA’s lunar ambitions: “Our selection by NASA highlights the capability of our FLEX rover and the strength of our collaboration with Venturi Group. We are fully committed to delivering an LTV that will be a critical asset for establishing a long-term human presence on the Moon… Our entire team, together with our business partners, including our strategic partner Venturi Group, are committed to delivering to NASA an LTV that serves as a critical tool in the agency’s efforts to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon.”

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