Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com SpaceX is an American private space company founded by billionaire Elon Musk. The company is developing a new type of rocket, called a starship, that can carry large amounts of cargo and people to the moon and Mars. Starship hasn't been flight-tested yet, but it's already had a lot of customers subscribe to its service.

Recently, a startup called Astrolab announced that it has signed an agreement with SpaceX to transport a lunar rover to the lunar surface by mid-2026, SpaceX's first commercial cargo contract on the lunar surface. Astrolab CEO Gerrit Matthews said they were among a handful of customers for the flight.

Astrolab is building a vehicle that can transport equipment, supplies and people on the moon called the Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover. The rover is the size of a Jeep Wrangler and a bit bigger than NASA's Fortitude rover on Mars. It is also equipped with a robotic arm that can help load and unload cargo and can travel at 15 mph (CTOnews.com notes: about 24.14 km/h). FLEX can also carry two astronauts.

Astrolab claims that when FLEX lands on the moon, it will be the largest lunar rover ever driven on the moon. Matthews said Astrolab already has some customers waiting to use FLEX to deliver cargo on Starship missions in 2026. FLEX could also help establish a permanent lunar base in the future and explore further afield, he said. "Our ultimate goal is to have a fleet of FLEX lunar rovers on both the Moon and Mars," he said."I really think these vehicles are the catalyst for opening up the extraterrestrial economy. "

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