SpaceX to launch SUV-sized rover to the moon

Company Ilona Mask SpaceX will launch a crossover-sized rover to the moon. This should happen in the middle of 2026, when, presumably, a new generation launch vehicle will be ready. Starship. About it writes The Independent.

It is planned to send the Flex apparatus of the American startup Astrolab to the earth satellite. On Friday, the company announced it had won its first commercial contract with SpaceX, even though orbital testing of its rocket has not yet been completed.

Astrolab describes the Flex as "the largest and most capable rover to ever land on the moon." It is assumed that he will be able to transport two astronauts and cargo at speeds up to 24 kilometers per hour, as well as perform various operations using robotic arms. The prototype of the lunar rover is already being tested in the California desert (USA).

Starship testing is also ongoing. SpaceX has already conducted successful high-altitude flight tests of the prototype, although several early launches ended in explosions. The next launch is scheduled for the end of April.

Starship is considered the largest rocket ever built - its size reaches 120 meters.

In the future, Astrolab also plans to build a Mars exploration rover. The startup wants to participate in moon exploration And red planet and hopes to place a whole fleet of its rovers on them.