# NASA Taps Astrolab's CLV-1 Rover to Drive Artemis Astronauts Across the Lunar South Pole **Source:** https://glitchwire.com/news/nasa-taps-astrolabs-clv-1-rover-to-drive-artemis-astronauts-across-the-lunar-sou/ **Published:** 2026-05-27T12:52:41.353Z **Author:** Tech Desk · Glitchwire **Categories:** Tech, Science ## Summary The $219 million award marks NASA's first concrete hardware commitment for astronaut mobility at the Moon Base, with delivery targeted for 2028 under the accelerated Ignition initiative. ## Article NASA has selected Hawthorne-based [Venturi Astrolab](https://www.astrolab.space/) as one of two providers of crewed lunar rovers for the Artemis program, bringing the agency's plans for sustained mobility at the lunar south pole into sharper focus. The award, valued at approximately $219 million, funds development and delivery of Astrolab's Crewed Lunar Vehicle, or CLV-1, with arrival on the Moon targeted for 2028. The contract comes two months after NASA's March 24 Ignition event, where Administrator Jared Isaacman outlined a three-phase strategy to build a permanent Moon Base. That initiative called for smaller rovers delivered on an accelerated timeline. Astrolab responded by adapting its existing FLEX rover architecture into CLV-1, a vehicle sized specifically for astronaut transport and supply logistics rather than external payload hauling. > Introducing Astrolab’s Crewed Lunar Vehicle (CLV-1), chosen by [@NASA](https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) to transport crew across the lunar surface and support the construction of a permanent lunar base. Adapted from our FLEX rover architecture reflecting NASA’s revised approach to lunar surface mobility, CLV-1 is… [pic.twitter.com/bS08GHbeZX](https://t.co/bS08GHbeZX)— Astrolab (@Astrolab_Space) [May 26, 2026](https://twitter.com/Astrolab_Space/status/2059355004700590229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) ## The Hardware CLV-1 will arrive at the Moon in a compact configuration, stowing to roughly 2 meters long, 2.3 meters wide, and 2.2 meters tall when tucked inside a Commercial Lunar Payload Services lander. Once deployed on the surface, the rover unfolds to approximately 4 meters in length while maintaining its 2.3-meter width, with an antenna height of about 2.6 meters. The vehicle has a maximum mass of 950 kilograms and can reach speeds of 10 kilometers per hour on level ground. More notably, it can operate both with astronauts aboard and remotely via teleoperations. Venturi Space, a Monaco-based partner, will supply the same tires, batteries, and battery management system it developed for earlier Astrolab rover prototypes. Astrolab has logged thousands of hours of lab and field testing since unveiling its full-scale FLEX prototype in 2022. That heritage carries forward into CLV-1, which the company positions as the first in a planned line of Crewed Lunar Vehicles. Future iterations will presumably be designated CLV-2, CLV-3, and so on as the Moon Base expands. ## The Team Astrolab is not building CLV-1 alone. The company's teammates include [Axiom Space](https://www.axiomspace.com/), the sole spacesuit provider for NASA's Artemis campaign, which brings expertise in crew displays, controls, and human systems engineering. Odyssey Space Research, led by former NASA flight director Bryan Lunney, will contribute flight software and simulation capabilities through its ENCORE framework. Perhaps most intriguing is the inclusion of [Interlune](https://www.interlune.space/), a Seattle-based company focused on harvesting helium-3 from lunar regolith. Interlune CEO Rob Meyerson, formerly of Blue Origin, said the company brings "deep expertise in operating in the lunar environment" at a moment when lunar activity is transitioning from concept to execution. The partnership suggests Astrolab is thinking beyond simple astronaut transport toward the resource extraction and industrial operations that a permanent base would require. ## The Competition Astrolab is not NASA's only bet. Colorado-based Lunar Outpost received a $220 million award for its Pegasus rover, a lighter vehicle that can hit 9 mph and operates manually, autonomously, or via teleoperation. Developed with General Motors, Goodyear, and Leidos, Pegasus seats two astronauts side-by-side and is designed for an operational life of at least one year. NASA's decision to fund two competing rovers reflects the agency's broader strategy under Ignition: accelerate technology demonstrations, inform site planning, and reduce operational risk before crews arrive. Deploying multiple LTVs early allows the agency to characterize terrain hazards, move materials, and pre-stage resources. ## The Timeline Both CLV-1 and Pegasus are expected on the Moon by 2028, ahead of the first crewed Artemis surface missions. Astrolab's FLIP rover will arrive sooner, slated to launch aboard Astrobotic's Griffin lander as part of the Moon Base II mission later this year. That precursor mission will help mature mobility systems before CLV-1 ever touches regolith. Astrolab's $219 million task order sits within a broader indefinite-delivery contract NASA awarded in 2024, which has a potential maximum value of $4.6 billion over 13 years. The current award represents Phase 1 of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services program, leaving room for larger orders as [NASA's Moon Base](/news/nasa-unveils-30-billion-plan-for-a-city-sized-permanent-moon-base-by-2036/) ambitions scale. "We're honored that NASA has selected Astrolab to help provide the surface mobility astronauts will need," CEO Jaret Matthews said in a statement. Matthews, a JPL and SpaceX veteran, founded Astrolab in Hawthorne to fill the "last mile" gap in lunar logistics. That gap is getting smaller. The dual rover contracts represent the first concrete hardware commitments under NASA's accelerated lunar timeline. Whether that timeline holds depends on factors largely outside Astrolab's control: lander availability, launch cadence, and continued political support for a program that has already survived one administration transition. For now, CLV-1 has a number, a price tag, and a destination. 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