Considered a key advance, rovers were subsequently used successfully on all three final Apollo missions, clocking more than 56 mi. over 11 hr. of total drive time. Alongside the crewed vehicles, the Moon has been-and continues to be-explored by a series of partially or fully autonomous robotic vehicles ranging from the Soviet-era Lunokhods to the latest China-developed Yutu-2 rover. Now, more than 50 years after the debut of the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle, Lockheed Martin and automotive partner General Motors (GM) are developing a different approach to lunar roving as NASA and other space agencies plan for the imminent return of humans to the Moon. The two partners have teamed to produce a 21st-century rover dubbed the Lunar Mobility Vehicle (LMV), which will be transported separately to the Moon and will be ready and waiting for the astronauts at touchdown.
展开▼
