According to Techeblog, NASA selected Lunar Outpost company in Colorado, USA to develop a new autonomous human-carrying vehicle called Pegasus for the Artemis lunar exploration program. It is expected that astronauts will drive the vehicle past the Moon's south pole starting in 2028. This vehicle will provide long range, high endurance and flexibility, supporting astronauts to stay longer and laying the foundation for a permanent base in the future. Lunar Outpost will receive $220 million to build Pegasus.
According to New Atlas, Pegasus is a smaller and lighter version of the Eagle LTV autonomous vehicle, inspired by the Hummer EV model of General Motors (GM). Lunar Outpost is working with GM, Goodyear and Leidos to develop the Pegasus to be more efficient than the Apollo-era vehicle (LRV). GM is in charge of electrification systems and battery technology in autonomous vehicles. Goodyear supported tire development, while Leidos contributed expertise in engineering and manned space travel. Both Pegasus and Eagle can operate for at least a year and reach a range of 900 km on a single charge, far surpassing the LRV with a total distance of 90.4 km over the Apollo 15, 16 and 17 missions.
Pegasus has a fairly compact design, able to carry two astronauts in a low-clearance cabin with clear visibility ahead. With a maximum speed of 15 km/h, the vehicle is easy to enter and exit even on rough terrain. The vehicle's power source comes from an extremely powerful battery pack based on GM's electric vehicle technology, which can operate stably for a long time and be fault-tolerant for many months of operation in a vacuum environment. Astronauts can directly drive Pegasus or let the vehicle run automatically on familiar terrain using integrated technology. The mission team on Earth can also control the vehicle in real time if needed.
One of NASA's requirements is that the rover must be able to withstand the harshest environmental conditions, including driving through dark craters on the Moon to search for water ice. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter measured temperatures below -246 degrees Celsius inside the crater, and ground temperatures could reach as high as 121 degrees Celsius. To operate in such a wide temperature range, Pegasus's thermal management system will operate automatically at all times, protecting batteries, electronics and mechanical components.
Lunar Outpost will need to complete the Pegasus autonomous vehicle by November 2027 according to NASA's request. Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1 lander will carry the rover to the Moon's south pole.
According to Modern Mechanics, the Artemis program is NASA's flagship lunar exploration effort for the next decade. Unlike the Apollo program, which focused on short visits, Artemis was designed with a repeatable mission and long-term infrastructure development. Lunar Outpost said Pegasus will help humans move farther and work longer on the Moon, a feature that is essential because astronauts need to transport tools, collect samples and build bases over large areas.
The lunar transportation system is attracting increasing attention as several countries prepare for new missions. The US, China, India and many private companies are investing heavily in lunar technology, in which the ability to move on the ground is the main requirement to maintain human activities off Earth.
