Lunar environment-proof batteries and wheels, maximum reliability and ease of use. It is called Clv-1 and will be able to operate for a long time among rocks and craters
While Italy discusses the new Ferrari Luce, NASA announced that it has selected the US company Venturi Astrolab as one of the two suppliers of a new lunar rover, with crew for the next Artemis missions, thus carrying forward the Agency’s plans to make mobility possible on the surface of the lunar South Pole. The new crewed lunar vehicle (Crewed Lunar Vehicle, or Clv-1) will be built using critical technologies designed and manufactured by Venturi Space.
After the review of the mission requirements, which took place two months ago, today we are thinking of smaller rovers than the original one, but to be delivered in an accelerated timeframe. The final model will be adapted from Astrolab’s Flex rover architecture, designed primarily to transport astronauts and their suppliesi, while being capable of remotely conducting some surface operations. Under the task order announced by NASA, Astrolab and its partners will develop and deliver the Clv-1 and related services to support surface, manned and robotic missions.
When will the lunar electric car be available
NASA expects rovers to be funded by these awards will reach the Moon by 2028. Among the most curious details of these vehicles, there are the hyper-deformable wheels, made to resist for a long time (and not a few tens of hours, like those of the Apollo mission rovers) to the extreme conditions of the lunar climate and soil. Their architecture is designed to absorb surface irregularities, limit sinking and maintain constant traction even on steep slopes and at temperatures ranging from -240 to +130 °C.
Another critical component is the high-performance batteries, designed and assembled for guarantee the rover safe and long-lasting energy in the most extreme conditions. They are equipped with an energy management system that acts by regulating their temperature, and preserving the charge even during the periods of inactivity imposed by the lunar nights. These, we remember, can last up to the equivalent of fourteen Earth days. To achieve this, the battery management system constantly monitors the state of the individual storage cells, and ensures constant charge balance, thus playing a central role in the reliability of the rover during continuous thermal cycles, driving phases and prolonged periods of inactivity.
The innovation of Venturi Space and Astrolab
Gildo Pastor, President of Venturi Spacesaid: «I would like to congratulate our strategic partner Astrolab on securing this historic contract; Jaret Matthews has created in record time an agile, compact and efficient company that embodies a new generation of space exploration leaders. This selection also confirms the value of the technologies developed by Venturi Space. I am particularly proud of this achievement and equally proud of the work carried out by our teams in France, Switzerland and Monaco.”
Antonio Delfino, Director of Space Affairs at Venturi Spaceexplained: «Mobility is an essential condition for the exploration of the Moon. The prospect of seeing a manned lunar rover, equipped with our technologies, accompany NASA astronauts represents a fundamental stage in the journey of Venturi Space. In six years, thanks to the trust of our strategic partner Astrolab and the impulse of President Gildo Pastor, we have developed innovative technologies for one of the most hostile environments ever explored by humanity, precisely the lunar South Pole.
Jaret Matthews, founder and CEO of Astrolab: «Gildo Pastor’s vision and commitment have been fundamental to the collaboration between Astrolab and Venturi Space since the beginning. The work done on the onboard systems has contributed significantly to the development of the rover, and we appreciate their partnership as we continue to develop the rover.” The Venturi Space technologies that equip the Clv-1 derive from the same technological base as those that will be integrated into Mona Luna, Venturi Space’s European lunar rover, a program that aims to support European ambitions in lunar exploration, with a first mission expected around 2030.
