People will drive cars on Earth's moon in 2030
People haven't been to the moon since 1972. But if everything goes according to plan, it will happen again soon. The American space agency plans to send astronauts to the Earth's satellite in 2026. It is reported that people will live there and move around the Moon by transport.
NASA announced that it will work with three commercial companies to develop lunar vehicles.
“If no one gets ahead of the Americans, this will be the first time a person has set foot on the moon since the Apollo landings,” — Astronomers indicate.
Recall that in the period from 1969 to 1972, people landed on the Moon six times. Now NASA has planned several expeditions. The program is called Artemis.
Cars will not appear first, the space agency announced at a press conference. But if all goes according to plan, they will be ready for a third human moon landing in 2030. According to NASA representatives, the possibility of renting out lunar cars is being considered in the future.
Astronauts will use cars to move around the surface of the Moon. But the vehicles are also self-driving, so they can move on the surface of the Moon without a driver.
“We look forward to the development of the Artemis-generation lunar exploration vehicle, which will help us advance our exploration of the Moon, — said NASA Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche. — This device will significantly expand the capabilities of our astronauts to explore and conduct scientific research on the surface of the Moon, and will also serve as a scientific platform in between crew flights.
The three companies that will build the vehicles are reported to be experts in creating equipment used in space. Each of them will continue to develop the concept of their lunar rover over the next 12 months in accordance with the “technical specifications” agencies. The teams will then be eligible to compete for another NASA mission — build its vehicle and fly it to the Moon as part of a key demonstration ahead of the Artemis 5 mission, currently scheduled for launch in March 2030.
The new vehicle will be somewhat similar to a “moon buggy.” For example, it will not be pressurized, which means that astronauts who ride it will need to keep their space suits on. It will also be a two-seater vehicle, like the Apollo rover.
The agreement concluded by NASA with the companies, according to experts, is slightly different from what was previously accepted. They used to buy such equipment. Now they're just going to rent it out. This means the companies own the cars themselves and can rent them out to other space agencies when the contract with NASA ends.
This wouldn't be the first time people have driven a car on the moon. The last time the Americans were there, more than 50 years ago, they also had a moonmobile.
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