Astrolab is a U.S.-based company focused on designing, building, and operating multi-purpose rovers for planetary surface exploration. Their primary product is the Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover, designed for cargo delivery, crew transport, and scientific exploration on the Moon, Mars and beyond. Astrolab has a contract with NASA to develop a Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) for the Artemis program and has partnered with SpaceX to deliver its FLEX rover to the Moon.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
Astrolab's FLIP rover will be integrated onto Griffin-1 at Cape Canaveral before launch.
Both Astrolab’s and Lunar Outpost’s rovers will reach the lunar surface through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.
Moon Base II is planned for 2026 and will deliver more than 1,100 pounds of cargo on Astrobotic’s Griffin lander, including Astrolab’s FLIP rover.
Astrolab has conducted thousands of hours of lab and field testing on the FLEX rover since unveiling a full-scale working prototype in 2022.
Over the next 18 months, Astrolab and Lunar Outpost will finalize rover designs, conduct crewed evaluations, and qualify flight units for operational readiness.
NASA awarded teams led by Astrolab and Lunar Outpost firm, fixed-price contracts worth about $220 million each to build crew-capable Lunar Terrain Vehicles.
NASA selected Astrolab and Lunar Outpost to develop lunar rovers, and each contract is worth about $220 million.
Astrolab's rover for NASA is Crewed Lunar Vehicle 1, or CLV-1, based on the FLEX rover concept and scaled down to meet NASA's revised requirements.
Astrolab’s FLIP mission will directly support development of the Crewed Lunar Vehicle CLV-1.
Venturi Space is Astrolab’s industrial partner for the tires, batteries, and wheel actuators used on the FLIP and FLEX rovers.
Astrolab will use the FLIP mission to test tires, batteries, and wheel actuators for the future Crewed Lunar Vehicle.
Astrolab plans to launch the FLIP mission in the second half of 2026.
Astrolab’s Crewed Lunar Vehicle weighs approximately 2,000 pounds.
NASA awarded Astrolab and Lunar Outpost $220 million each for Lunar Terrain Vehicle design and delivery.
Astrolab’s FLIP rover will fly on Moon Base II.
Astrolab’s Crewed Lunar Vehicle can transport astronauts and supplies and can exceed 6 mph on level terrain.
NASA awarded Astrolab $219 million to develop its Crewed Lunar Vehicle, or CLV-1, adapted from the company’s FLEX architecture.
Astrobotic's Griffin lander will carry the FLIP rover from Astrolab as a testbed for future vehicles.
NASA has shown prototypes of lunar LTV vehicles that Astrolab and Lunar Outpost will manufacture.
Astrolab's FLIP rover is part of the Moon Base 2 payload and is the largest commercial payload delivered to the Moon to date.