Robotic lunar rovers move into Artemis 4 prep to bolster Moon Base mobility

NASA selected Astrolab and Lunar Outpost to develop two crewed lunar terrain vehicles (CLV-1 and Pegasus) aimed at deployment by 2027 to support Artemis 4 and early Moon Base operations. The LTVs will operate about 2 km from landers, can conduct missions up to 10 km away during crewed phases, and collectively cover up to 400 km over their lifetimes. The effort complements the FLIP rover and Griffin-1 lander, with Lunar Outpost and Astrolab progressing toward full-scale prototypes and flight hardware. Surviving the Moon’s frigid nights (down to ~-400°F) relies on onboard energy storage and radiator strategies, including using solar arrays to shield radiators. A major hurdle remains launch access, as NASA shifts to an launch-vehicle-agnostic approach after Blue Origin’s New Glenn setbacks and a blast gate delayed schedules, with resumption expected in late 2026 to early 2027.