Latest news with #LunarOutpost
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Michelin's Space-Spec Wheels Can Conquer Moon Craters in Extreme Temps
Michelin has developed what looks like a tire but is actually a wheel that's capable of surviving the moon's harsh environment. The wild-looking wheels, which can withstand extreme temperatures and conquer craters, will be used on a lunar rover. We spoke with Michelin's Cyrille Roget, who detailed the development process of the brand's unusual moon-spec wheels. Picture a moon rover. You might imagine the very first one launched in 1971. Or maybe the one Matt Damon's character piloted in The Martian. But America's newest space vehicle is probably going to look much different. That includes the tires, which Cyrille Roget, Michelin's scientific and innovation communication director, says isn't a tire anymore—it's a wheel. It's round, but there is no air pressure, and it's made entirely of thermoplastic. The demand is rigorous. The rover will reside on Earth's moon for a decade, exploring remote areas and taking samples on manned and unmanned missions. Each wheel had to be tested in extreme environments to ensure it could tough it out in temperatures above 212 degrees Fahrenheit and below -400 degrees Fahrenheit, stay intact even in the path of solar and galactic radiation, and maintain traction on very loose soil. The moon, in other words, is not a friendly place. A moon rover's wheels must be equally fierce. Why bother with a project that has a high cool factor but is also extremely expensive? Michelin believes that its work will lead to technical and scientific advances that could lead to creative tire and wheel ideas here on Earth. Last year, NASA announced it had selected three finalists to design the newest lunar rover: Lunar Outpost, Venturi Astrolab, and Intuitive Machines. The latter, a Houston, Texas-based aerospace company, picked Michelin, AVL, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman Corporation as its dance partners, and NASA ponied up $30 million for the team to complete a Lunar Terrain Vehicle services feasibility assessment. In simpler terms, it's a show-and-tell report. As Roget and his team considered how they would contribute to the rolling power of the lunar terrain vehicle, they considered what they already knew about tires. 'Of course, the first thing we thought about was rubber, because we have 130 years of experience with rubber,' Roget says. 'But the problem on the lunar surface is that we need something that is strong and robust, because there is a lot of abrasion.' Factoring in the radiation, abrasion, and abrupt temperature changes between the bottom of the crater and the surface of the moon, rubber wasn't going to cut it. (Michiganders, in particular, will get this.) Michelin already knew from years of practice that rubber turns into a hard surface at -240 degrees. Instead, the company created a wheel composed of flexible thermoplastic S-shaped 'spokes' that connect the wheel to the outside 'tread' that makes contact with the soil. The rovers cannot carry a spare wheel, either, so the original set has to be darn near perfect. That's where the spokes come in; even if one little spoke breaks, the wheel will still continue to function. It's not a catastrophic failure, as it might be if a tire is punctured. The mission won't be lost even if the wheels lose a few spokes. The wheels are very soft and very flexible, Roget explains. They have to lose as little energy as possible while moving on the surface. In the laboratory, Roget says, they developed a means of testing thermoplastic at extreme temperatures to see if it's still flexible. Gravity is also a factor, as the moon's gravity is one-sixth of what it is on Earth. The rover has to climb out of sandy craters with inclines of 20 degrees or more, so the contact patch for the space-spec wheels has to be as large as possible. 'A lot of people just focus on the fact that [the product] is going to the moon,' Roget says. 'For us, it's always about learning something.' If you think about it, Roget points out, a tire is a composite, an assembly of materials that are not supposed to work together. Metal wheels, for instance, are rigid, and they're wrapped in soft rubber. When you combine these elements together, it creates something that works for millions of cycles. That's exactly what Michelin scientists want to learn on the lunar project: how wheels work in the harshest conditions they can find. The moon will be its own kind of laboratory for Michelin to test its theories of what is possible for its unusual wheels to achieve. 'We have a team of people that are very motivated and very passionate about what they're doing, because it's not every day that you work on a project that will go to the moon,' Roget says. 'We're also exploring solutions that we are developing for a lunar application, but also that we think could find a way to solutions that will be on Earth.' You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
Forbes
25-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Juventus Goes To The Moon And Launches New Capsule Collection
Juventus has conquered Italy 36 times, been club champion of Europe and the world twice, and is now expanding its footprint to space. Earlier this season, the Old Lady became the first soccer club to participate in a lunar mission. Juve partnered with Colorado space robotics firm Lunar Outpost, on its Lunar Voyage 1 mission. To celebrate its hand in space exploration, the club is dropping a new limited-edition Moon Capsule Collection alongside Adidas and Lunar Outpost. On the field, Juventus is failing to live up to its exceedingly high standards. Igor Tudor's team is fifth in Serie A, one point outside the UEFA Champions League places with five games to go. Juventus will need to win its last five matches and hope for one of its opponents to drop points to salvage its season. However, according to Gianmarco Pino, Head of Brand at Juventus, if the club has learned anything from its space collaboration, it is that it should be bold and attempt the impossible. So, fans can expect Juve to push hard for the final European position and to continue innovating off the field. Juventus's entrepreneurial spirit has been the foundation of the club's youthful mentality and success throughout its 127-year history. As Juve evolves from soccer club into sporting entity and lifestyle brand, it aims to enhance its commitment to innovation and excellence on and off the pitch. With that in mind, the club continues to come up with novel ways to appeal to new fans and link Juventus to like-minded organizations. This season has been all about outer space. Together with Adidas, Juventus has launched several rounds of NASA and space-inspired merchandise. Pino said initial fan feedback was 'really good,' so the club continued down that road. The partnership with Lunar Outpost was a natural evolution from Juve's space-themed social media and merchandise campaign. Speaking about the collaboration, Mike Armstrong, Chief Marketing Officer at Juventus, said, 'Juventus has always been driven by a spirit of innovation and discovery, and our partnership with Lunar Outpost extends that vision. As the first football club to be part of a lunar mission, we are proud to support the continued exploration of space. This is a testament to our relentless pursuit to break new grounds in the world of sport.' To celebrate the partnership, Juventus is dropping its latest space capsule collection. The collection had a soft launch in late March, with first team players Randal Kolo Muani, Samuel Mbangula, Alisha Lehman, and American Tim Weah participating in a space-themed photo shoot. According to Pino, the merchandise has sold well so far without much social media push. The capsule collection is comprised of four items: a white track top, a short-sleeved and long-sleeved pre-match jersey, and an orange track top. At first glance, the white track top looks like a standard issue track top. It uses classic Juventus colors—white and black—and has the Juve and Adidas logos. On the back, however, there is an arrow-shaped patch inside of which there is a space shuttle ascending to the Moon. The jacket also has the club motto Fino Alla Fine printed on it to demonstrate the club's constant pursuit of excellence. The orange track top's design is similar to the white version. It has the same arrow-shaped patch on the back and includes a shoulder lunar mission badge that shows the Lunar Outpost Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover on the Moon. The orange body and blue sleeves are supposed to resemble a modern space suit. The pre-match jersey, which comes in both short and long sleeves, has a black body and a lunar-eclipse polkadot-esque pattern. The Lunar Outpost logo is displayed in place of a normal shirt sponsor. The pre-match top also has both the shoulder and back space-themed badges. The official launch of the capsule takes place this weekend, April 24-26, alongside Juventus Football Club's home match against Monza FC. The club will do a stadium takeover at the Allianz Stadium, converting it into a space-themed arena complete with activations for fans. In the words of Pino, the stadium takeover will show, 'we landed on the moon and now we are traveling back to Earth to land in the stadium.' The Lunar Voyage 1 mission launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on February 26, 2025. It did 38 orbits around the Moon before landing on the South Pole on March 6. The mission's bold objectives were to land on and explore the Moon's relatively hostile Southern Pole during and after the lunar eclipse. Following that, the team would gather space materials for sale on return to Earth using its MAPP rover. Unfortunately, after orbiting the Moon nearly forty times, the lander didn't land properly, so no space materials were obtained. Still, the rover communicated with the Lunar Outpost scientists for several days, allowing them to gain valuable data that will help pave the way for future sustainable space exploration. While the connection between soccer and space exploration may seem unclear, Gianmarco Pino says, 'they share common objectives, such as breaking boundaries and looking forward.' From Juve's perspective, the collaboration allows the club to show its continued desire to innovate. The lunar mission also aligned with Juventus's ESG strategy, as it seeks to further eco-friendly space exploration. Lunar Outpost Founder and CEO Justin Cyrus said, 'Partnering with Juventus allows us to engage new audiences in the excitement of space travel. Together, we are inspiring curiosity about what's possible beyond Earth, while also exploring sustainable solutions that could benefit life on our planet.' Pino added that the two entities are in talks about how they can continue collaborating in the near future. Lunar Outpost is planning a second and third Lunar Voyage, and Juventus is keen to lend its expertise and brand to them where appropriate. Perhaps there are more otherworldly endeavors in Juventus's future.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Lunar Outpost unveils sleek new 'Eagle' moon rover (photos)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Eagle has landed. Colorado-based Lunar Outpost just unveiled its new "Eagle" moon rover at the Space Foundation's 40th annual Space Symposium here, and it looks straight out of science fiction. Sporting a sleek metallic finish and ice-blue LED lighting, the Eagle rover turned quite a few heads on the expo floor this year. But Eagle boasts more than just futuristic looks. The rover is packed with features designed with the next generation of Artemis program moon explorers in mind and is based on feedback from current NASA astronauts at NASA's Johnson Space Center, according to Lunar Outpost's A.J Gerner. "We've developed all of our crew and human interfaces through a lot of testing with NASA Johnson, we've had eight astronauts, even in full pressurized suits, evaluate the design, and their feedback is throughout the vehicle," Gerner told One of the features astronauts particularly enjoyed during testing is the wide, easily accessible front entry area, which is maneuverable even in a bulky spacesuit. In the configuration shown here at the symposium, the Eagle vehicle features two seats for crew, each with its own redundant and mirrored controls, meaning either astronaut can control the rover. The steering controls on each side consist of a single handle that controls four individual motors that drive each wheel. Each wheel can turn independently of the other three, allowing the Eagle rover to turn on its center axis or "crab walk" sideways, Gerner said. Related: Private mini rover aboard sideways Athena moon lander was ready to roll — but it couldn't get out In addition to the hand controller, each seat in the Eagle rover has a multifunction display at eye level for each of the astronauts riding on board. These displays will fuse feeds from onboard cameras and Lunar Outpost's "Eagle eye" sensors that can see things astronauts' eyes cant, which will come in handy if the vehicle is ever sent to explore regions near the moon's south pole that contain permanently shadowed regions or deep craters where water ice might be hiding. "The idea is to extend the crew's perception," Gerner said, "and the displays put all that information right at their fingertips." To help astronauts conduct science and exploration on the lunar surface, Eagle also features tool lockers and refrigerated sample containers to help bring home samples of the moon safely. Each tool locker features a shelf that can raise up to astronauts' chest height, making it easy for them to reach what they need even in a bulky spacesuit. Additional tool racks and storage can be added to the racks along the sides of the rear of the vehicle. Related stories: — NASA picks 3 companies to design lunar rover for Artemis astronauts to drive on the moon — SpaceX's Starship will fly Lunar Outpost's rover to the moon — The moon: Everything you need to know about Earth's companion But Eagle wasn't just built with astronauts in mind. Gerner said the vehicle can be operated autonomously or by controllers on Earth, allowing it to explore the lunar surface even if astronauts aren't on the moon with it. Lunar Outpost hopes to have Eagle on the moon by the end of the decade to support NASA's planned Artemis 5 mission. But the rover is currently in the running alongside two others, designed by Intuitive Machines and Venturi Astrolab, in NASA's quest to find its next "lunar terrain vehicle." The total potential value of the lunar terrain vehicle services contract is $4.6 billion.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lunar Outpost to Unveil Latest Lunar Terrain Vehicle at Space Symposium 2025
High-fidelity prototype offers an early look at how astronauts will live and work on the lunar surfaceCOLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lunar Outpost, a leader in planetary mobility and space resource utilization, will unveil the latest prototype of its Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), Lunar Outpost Eagle, at Space Symposium 2025 in Colorado Springs, CO. The debut marks a significant milestone in Lunar Outpost's commitment to advancing lunar exploration and supporting NASA's Artemis campaign, which will establish the first long-term human presence on the Moon. The historic pace at which Lunar Outpost has unveiled its high-fidelity prototype, the fourth vehicle level prototype in less than 12 months, speaks to the notable progress that is being made towards delivering the flight vehicle. Each prototype offers an important chance to learn and adapt ensuring the best quality services to NASA. Eagle provides the essential mobility for Artemis astronauts to travel around the lunar surface for scientific discovery, technology advancement, and to learn how to live and work on another world sustainably as we prepare for human missions to Mars. In 2024, NASA awarded a Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services (LTVS) contract to the Lunar Dawn team, led by Lunar Outpost in collaboration with General Motors, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, MDA Space, and Leidos. Lunar Dawn combines proven robotic and human space exploration heritage, cutting edge technology, and automotive industry strengths to create a true off-road vehicle built for extreme environments. 'Safe and reliable surface mobility is critical to advancing space exploration and powering the cislunar economy,' said Justin Cyrus, CEO of Lunar Outpost. 'The Lunar Outpost Eagle represents a foundational element for building a sustainable human presence on the Moon, enabling necessary access to critical points of interest for the Artemis campaign and commercial partners - paving the way for future exploration of Mars and beyond.' Eagle is designed to dramatically extend the range that both Artemis astronauts and commercial payloads can travel from their landing sites. Ultimately, Eagle will enable astronauts to perform high-priority science investigations on the Moon while also providing commercial services that improve mobility, innovation, and impact within the cislunar economy. 'Every aspect of Eagle serves a scientific purpose and demands innovation,' said AJ Gemer, CTO of Lunar Outpost. 'Drawing on expertise from our rich planetary mobility programs and heritage, including our Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover that landed on the Moon last month, we've built a vehicle that is both capable and hardened to withstand the harsh conditions of space. Beyond its ability to traverse the challenging lunar terrain, Eagle supports various payload requirements, powers advanced instrumentation for experiments, maintains high-bandwidth communication, and more. Ultimately, Eagle embodies the principle that a functional design is a beautiful design, representing the quintessential Space Truck.' Lunar Outpost engineered Eagle to provide Artemis astronauts with a safe and functional experience, featuring a flight deck-forward design for unfettered navigation of the challenging lunar surface. It includes advanced autonomous navigation and operation, with or without astronauts onboard. Its cargo bed is reconfigurable, allowing for the changing of payloads with a robust robotic arm. Notably, Eagle has been engineered not only to survive, but to operate, during the two-week long lunar nights with temperatures down to -280 degrees Fahrenheit––extending mission life from days to years. Eagle will undergo a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) this spring to ensure the vehicle meets NASA's requirements. NASA is anticipated to announce its choice of LTVS provider by the end of the year. Lunar Outpost's drivable LTV prototype will be on display at the Space Symposium April 7-10, 2025, located at BAE Systems Exhibit Center North Hall at MDA Space Booth 1341. The unveiling offers a first look at the future of space mobility and lunar exploration. About Lunar OutpostLunar Outpost is a pioneer in planetary mobility and space resource utilization, developing advanced robotic systems for extreme environments. From enabling the first commercial rover on the Moon to supporting NASA's Lunar Terrain Vehicle project, Lunar Outpost is leading the way toward sustainable lunar infrastructure and a cislunar economy. With multiple missions fully contracted, the company is helping shape the future of space as an extension of the global economy. For more information, visit Media ContactLaunchSquad for Lunar Outpostlo@ A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
All-terrain space truck hopes to drive astronauts on the moon
In April 2024, NASA selected three finalists to design, build, and pitch their own Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) for the Artemis program within 12 months. Ever since, Intuitive Machines, Venturi Astrolab, and Lunar Outpost have raced to meet the impending deadline to deliver the best moon car plan possible. Lunar Outpost's Lunar Dawn team revealed its latest high-fidelity prototype, the Lunar Outpost Eagle, on April 8. The vehicle will officially debut at Space Symposium 2025 in Colorado Springs and provide attendees with the closest look yet at the Artemis program hopeful. Eagle is the fourth prototype iteration so far, and was built in collaboration from General Motors, Goodyear, MDA Space, and Leidos, the Eagle is envisioned as the 'quintessential Space Truck,' according to AJ Gemer, Lunar Outpost CTO. Eagle's current version features a reconfigurable cargo bed, as well as a robotic arm for helping with will reportedly rely on autonomous navigation software with or without astronauts behind the wheel. The LTV's final design is intended to also support advanced onboard instrumentation for various experiments while maintaining high-bandwidth communication relays. Lunar Outpost plans to ensure its LTV can not only endure the moon's harsh, two-week long lunar nights, but continue operating as surface temperatures drop as low as -280 degrees Fahrenheit. These and other safeguards are critical to the LTV remaining functional for years beyond its first mission. It hasn't all been smooth sailing for Lunar Outpost since NASA awarded the company with its feasibility task order. Last February, a small, four-wheeled rover built by the company hitched a ride aboard Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lunar lander mission. Although 'Odie' became the first commercial spacecraft to successfully land on the moon on March 6, it did so on its side. As a result, Lunar Outpost's scale test rover could not deploy to test Nokia's first-of-its-kind lunar cellular network. Despite this, engineers still managed to successfully maintain telecommunications links with the rover for over 200 hours, as well as meeting Lunar Technology Readiness Level (TRL 9) requirements for key rover subsystems. Following Eagle's premiere at the Space Symposium, Lunar Outpost's LTV will begin its Preliminary Design Review process to ensure it meets all of NASA's requirements before delivering a completed pitch to the agency. NASA is expected to announce the winning LTV bid by the end of this year. If all goes according to plan (which admittedly is a big 'if'), Lunar Outpost's Eagle lander could be a part of the Artemis V mission currently scheduled for 2030.
