Today, an announcement was made by Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) that it has come to an agreement with Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) for the transportation of Astrolab’s Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover on a forthcoming mission to the Moon. As early as mid-2026, SpaceX will use the Starship launch and landing system for this mission. After the completion of this mission, the FLEX rover from Astrolab will become the most extensive and most capable rover ever to travel to the Moon. With a maximum combined rover and cargo mass of over two tons, the FLEX rover is almost three times the size of its largest predecessor.
This enhanced capacity will provide many more opportunities for scientific experiments and commercial endeavors on the lunar surface. Astrolab has already signed several customer agreements to transport payloads on this mission. Later this spring, the company is expected to release information about these agreements.
Historically, planetary rovers have been custom-designed for each particular mission, which typically occurs around once every ten years. However, due to the rapid increase in launch frequency and significant increases in payload capacity of launch vehicles, this approach to rover design is no longer practical or efficient.
Astrolab designed the FLEX rover to transport and deploy payloads in a modular system, recognizing the need for a highly capable and versatile rover to establish infrastructure, conduct high-priority science, and deploy technology demos and other specialized systems on the lunar surface. Astrolab plans to establish a fleet of FLEX rovers on the lunar surface that will accelerate the vision of creating a permanent human presence on the Moon and eventually Mars.
According to Jaret Matthews, Founder and CEO of Astrolab, “Our Astrolab team has created much more than a rover for use on the Moon or Mars. We’ve created a logistics system that can accommodate a wide variety of cargo. We expect that this approach will help establish a permanent lunar outpost on the Moon at a lower cost and in less time than previously envisioned. We are delighted that this contract with SpaceX will allow Astrolab to demonstrate the advantages of the FLEX rover and its modular payload system.”
Tom Ochinero, Senior Vice President, Commercial Business, SpaceX, said, “Starship is designed to transport large amounts of cargo, including rovers, to the Moon and Mars for research and exploration. Developing sustainable outposts will require lunar logistics and transportation on the surface of the Moon, like what Astrolab offers. We look forward to working with the Astrolab team to deliver their FLEX Rover to the surface of the Moon.”