Billionaire-Backed Firm Vies for NASA Moon Rover

NASA has selected three companies, including Intuitive Machines co-founded by billionaire Kam Ghaffarian, to develop a rover for lunar exploration, the agency announced Wednesday. This move comes as NASA gears up to send humans back to the moon for the first time in decades.

While only one company will be chosen to build the Lunar Terrain Vehicle, all three—Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab—will engage in milestone-based contracts with competitive task orders. This approach aims to ensure NASA maintains robust competition and gets the best value for its investments, according to Lara Kearney, NASA’s Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program manager.

Intuitive Machines revealed it was awarded $30 million for a Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services Feasibility Assessment. The contract amounts for Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab were not immediately disclosed, though Venturi Astrolab stated its total contract could reach up to $1.9 billion.

The new rover, part of NASA’s Artemis program, will assist astronauts in exploring more of the Moon and searching for water, ice, and other resources on its surface. This endeavor marks a significant step toward establishing a long-term human presence on another planetary body.

The Artemis missions aim to make history by landing the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut on the Moon.

Key Details:

• Combined contracts have a maximum potential value of $4.6 billion, as per NASA.
• The new rover is expected to last 10 years on the Moon, carry two astronauts, accommodate a robotic arm, and endure extreme lunar South Pole temperatures.

NASA plans to incorporate the moon rover into crewed operations starting with Artemis V, slated for launch in 2029.

Noteworthy : Intuitive Machines recently achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first company to land a privately operated spacecraft intact on the Moon. This spacecraft carried several NASA experiments and commercial payloads as part of a NASA program to deliver cargo to the moon.

Background : NASA began accepting proposals for the moon rover in May, seeking a vehicle that would enable astronauts to conduct more science than ever before in the Moon’s south polar region. The rover is expected to function as a hybrid between an Apollo-era lunar rover and a Mars-style rover, capable of operating both with and without a crew.

Intuitive Machines is collaborating with Boeing, Michelin, Northrop Grumman, and others on its rover. Lunar Outpost, whose team includes Lockheed Martin and General Motors, has also received at least one NASA contract in the past. Venturi Astrolab is working with Axiom Space, Inc. and Odyssey Space Research on its rover.