A space odyssey: Lockheed Martin, General Motors and NASA team up to design new lunar rover

Lockheed Martin and General Motors are teaming up to develop the next generation of lunar vehicles to transport astronauts on the surface of the Moon, fundamentally evolving and expanding humanity's deep-space exploration footprint.

NASA's Artemis program is sending humans back to the Moon where they will explore and conduct scientific experiments using a variety of rovers. NASA has challenged the automotive industry to develop a Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) that will enable astronauts to explore the lunar surface further than ever before. 

Unlike the Apollo rovers that only travelled 7.6km from the landing site, the next generation lunar vehicles are being designed to traverse significantly farther distances. This allows the first excursions of Moon's south pole to be feasible, where it is cold and dark with more rugged terrain.

To support NASA's mission, the two industry leaders will develop the unique LTV with innovative capabilities, drawing on their formidable engineering legacies.