Crewed Lunar Vehicle (CLV-1), Astrolab¶
CX-2 (two Blue Origin LTV deliveries) · manifested · NASA payload
A lunar terrain vehicle (LTV): an unpressurized rover for two suited astronauts and their supplies, which can also run some surface operations remotely. Astrolab adapted it from its larger FLEX rover after NASA asked for smaller rovers on a faster schedule. Maximum mass 950 kg, up to 10 km/h on level ground; it folds to about 2 x 2.3 x 2.2 m on the lander. NASA buys LTV services; Astrolab builds and owns the rover. A Blue Origin Blue Moon MK1 lander delivers it to the South Pole region in 2028 under CX-2. It counts as a NASA payload here because a NASA task order delivers it for NASA.
PI: Not applicable (a commercial service). Jaret Matthews is Astrolab's founder and CEO.
Built by: Venturi Astrolab Inc. (Hawthorne, California), with teammates Axiom Space, Interlune and Odyssey Space Research. Venturi Space (Astrolab's strategic partner) supplies the tires, batteries and battery management system. (company)
| Technology | crewed lunar terrain vehicle (unpressurized rover) |
| Moon Base need | FN-M-302 L, FN-M-304 L (NASA names the link: its Moon Base Phases page lists 'Lunar Terrain Vehicles' as a Phase 1 asset and names this rover. The Users Guide's Phase 1 mobility target is 'large crewed and uncrewed rovers with speeds of 10 km/hr', and the knowledge base ties the ADD's LTV to functions FN-M-302 L and FN-M-304 L (unpressurized mobility in sunlit areas and in PSRs). Whether CLV-1 is meant for PSRs is not stated. The Users Guide names no tech or data gap and no challenge for mobility, so the challenges list is empty. Delivery in 2028 falls in Phase 1.) |
| Route onto CLPS | other NASA; Not a payload call: NASA's Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract. On 3 April 2024 NASA picked Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab, each with a year-long feasibility task order; the contract's combined maximum is $4.6 billion. Under Ignition (2026) NASA revised its approach to buy several smaller crewed and uncrewed rovers by 2028, competing a first phase among the three LTV contractors. On 26 May 2026 NASA chose Astrolab ($219 million) and Lunar Outpost ($220 million) under 'Phase 1 High Achievability Mission' task orders. The same day it gave Blue Origin two CLPS task orders (CX-2) to deliver them: $188 million, with an option worth $280.4 million. USAspending lists them as CX-2A and CX-2B; neither names its rover.; 2024-04-03 (LTV Services contract); 2026-05-26 (Phase 1 task order and CX-2 delivery) |
| Timeline | first funding 2023-04 (NASA tire tests, GCD ACO, no amount); 2024-03-27 (LTV Services contract). Astrolab was founded in January 2020.; first flight test not in public sources; selected 2026-05-26; launch 2028; landing 2028 (NASA); the first LTV is to arrive before the crewed Artemis IV landing, then scheduled for 2028 (GeekWire) |
| On the Moon | not yet flown |
| FO | none |
Flights before the Moon¶
None found in the public sources.
Heritage hardware¶
- design heritage (FLEX prototype): CLV-1 is adapted from FLEX, Astrolab's larger rover. Astrolab unveiled a full-scale working FLEX prototype in 2022 and says it has done thousands of hours of lab and field testing since. In late 2024, under the feasibility task order, suited NASA astronauts tested a FLEX mockup at NASA Johnson, hung from the ARGOS gravity-offload rig to mimic lunar gravity for the crew. All ground tests.
"Astrolab adapted its FLEX rover architecture to develop a new vehicle known as the Crewed Lunar Vehicle, or CLV-1."
— NASA Selects Astrolab to Provide Lunar Rover for Artemis Astronauts’ Return to the Moon – Astrolab"Since unveiling its full-scale working prototype of the FLEX rover in 2022, Astrolab has conducted thousands of hours of lab and field testing"
— NASA Selects Astrolab to Provide Lunar Rover for Artemis Astronauts’ Return to the Moon – Astrolab"completed the first round of testing in December inside the Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) test facility"
— New Commercial Artemis Moon Rovers Undergo Testing at NASA - NASA, 18 Dec 2024
- sister rover (FLIP, not yet flown): Astrolab's smaller FLIP rover rides on Astrobotic's Griffin-1 (Moon Base II, planned for late 2026) with NASA instruments. Astrolab says FLIP will gather engineering data and experience to inform FLEX. If Griffin-1 lands first, FLIP would be Astrolab's first rover on the Moon; it is a different vehicle, so it is heritage, not an earlier flight of CLV-1.
"FLIP will collect valuable engineering data and operational experience that will inform the development of Astrolab's larger Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover"
— Astrolab Announces NASA Payloads for Upcoming Mission to the Moon – Astrolab, 18 May 2026"The Astrobotic Griffin lander will carry more than 500 kilograms of cargo, including Astrolab's FLIP rover."
— Moon Base Announcement Speech – May 26, 2026 Administrator Isaacman – Remarks - NASA
- components (Venturi Space tires and batteries): CLV-1 uses the tires, batteries and battery management system Venturi Space developed for earlier Astrolab rovers. The Venturi Tire was ground-tested with NASA (TechPort 147000). No flight of these parts is in public sources.
"The Venturi Tire is the first off planet tire designed specifically for wide commercial use in support of a thriving lunar economy."
— TechPort project 147000, description
Funding before the lunar flight¶
- NASA LTV Services contract (IDV 80JSC024DA022, signed 27 March 2024): obligations on the contract itself, 2024-2026, which include the 2024 feasibility phase for FLEX. Total from USAspending; its task orders are listed below. The contract's $4.6 billion ceiling is for all awards, not this one. (NASA LTV Services (ESDMD; now the Moon Base Program); 2024-2026): $114,828,341
"THE LUNAR TERRAIN VEHICLE (LTV) SERVICES CONTRACT WILL PROVIDE NASA INCREASED LUNAR SURFACE UNPRESSURIZED MOBILITY FOR SUITED EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITY (EVA)."
— USAspending.gov, award 80JSC024DA022, VENTURI ASTROLAB INC; signed 2024-03-27; obligated 114828341.0
- Two small LTV Services task orders: a 'pre-priced evaluation of NASA mission requirements assessment' (80JSC024FA182, September 2024, $893,184.80) and a special study on carrying logistics on the LTV without crew (80JSC025FA137, July 2025, $403,590; this entry). Linked by contract (both sit under 80JSC024DA022). (NASA LTV Services; 2024-2025): $403,590
"PRE-PRICED EVALUATION OF NASA MISSION REQUIREMENTS ASSESSMENT"
— USAspending.gov, 80JSC024FA182; amount 893184.8; start 2024-09-27"THE SPECIAL STUDY FOR LTVS CAPABILITIES IS INTENDED TO INCREASE NASA UNDERSTANDING THE EXTENT OF CURRENT CAPABILITIES TO SUPPORT THE UNCREWED TRANSFER OF LOGISTICS ITEMS ON THE LTV"
— USAspending.gov, 80JSC025FA137; amount 403590.0; start 2025-07-15
- LTV Services 'High Achievability Mission' task order for CLV-1 (80JSC026FA106, signed 26 May 2026, to May 2031): $87.6 million obligated so far, of $218.9 million with options. This pays for building and delivering the rover service, mostly before landing. Linked by contract and by NASA's $219 million figure. (NASA LTV Services; 2026-2031): $87,572,534
"THE LUNAR TERRAIN VEHICLE SERVICES (LTVS) HIGH ACHIEVABILITY MISSION CAMPAIGN IS A SERIES OF PHASED, MISSION UNIQUE, TASK ORDERS AIMED TO ACCELERATE DELIVERY OF LTV CAPABILITY FOR NEAR TERM LUNAR EXPLORATION."
— USAspending.gov, award 80JSC026FA106, obligated 87572533.6; base and all options 218931334.0; signed 2026-05-26
- STMD Game Changing Development, 'Demonstrating Lunar Tire Technology Readiness' (TechPort 147000, April 2023 to April 2025): an Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity in which NASA Johnson and Glenn tested the Venturi Tire (heat transfer to cold soil, traction, life) to take it from TRL 4 to 6. CLV-1 uses Venturi's tires. No amount in TechPort. (STMD GCD (ACO); 2023-2025): amount not in public sources
"Heat transfer to cold lunar soil, traction, and life testing are unique to NASA, and would be conducted at Johnson Space Center (JSC) and Glenn Research Center (GRC) as part of this ACO."
— TechPort project 147000, description
- No SBIR award to Astrolab (a name search finds only unrelated firms). Astrolab's whole NASA total in USAspending ($203.7 million, FY2024-FY2026) is all under the LTV Services contract above; it is a company total and is not repeated here. (none (SBIR); company total not counted; not in public sources): amount not in public sources
"VENTURI ASTROLAB INC"
— USAspending.gov, recipient UEI DN8DE6WFW9G6, NASA obligated 203697649.4 (FY2024 48319613.2; FY2025 829327.6; FY2026 154548708.6)
How it got onto CLPS¶
"NASA has selected Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab to advance capabilities for a lunar terrain vehicle (LTV)"
— NASA Selects Companies to Advance Moon Mobility for Artemis Missions - NASA, 3 Apr 2024"has a combined maximum potential value of $4.6 billion for all awards"
— NASA Selects Companies to Advance Moon Mobility for Artemis Missions - NASA"The first phase will see competition among three current LTV contractors"
— Ignition - NASA"Awarded under the Phase 1 High Achievability Mission task orders of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract"
— NASA Provides Update on Moon Base Rovers, Landers, Missions - NASA"To deliver these rovers to the Moon's South Pole region, NASA awarded Blue Origin $188 million with an option period worth $280.4 million for two task orders"
— NASA Provides Update on Moon Base Rovers, Landers, Missions - NASA"COMMERCIAL LUNAR PAYLOAD SERVICES (CLPS) CONTRACT TASK ORDER CX-2A"
— USAspending.gov, award 80JSC026F7013, Blue Origin; signed 2026-05-26; obligated 64860000.0 (CX-2B, 80JSC026F7015: 36660000.0)
On the Moon¶
Manifested for delivery to the South Pole region in 2028 on a Blue Moon MK1 under CX-2. Over the next 18 months the providers are to finalize designs, run crewed evaluations and qualify flight units. NASA says crewed and uncrewed LTVs are to reach the surface by 2028. Which CX-2 order carries CLV-1, and which rover lands first, is not stated.
"Over the next 18 months, the selected providers will finalize rover designs, conduct crewed evaluations, and qualify flight units for operational readiness"
— NASA Provides Update on Moon Base Rovers, Landers, Missions - NASA
FO's role¶
Grade: none. No FO project, report or page names Astrolab, Venturi, FLEX, FLIP or CLV-1 (search of the 1 October 2026 FO TechPort snapshot, the FO reports and FO's pages). The rover's lunar-gravity tests so far are on the ground (ARGOS for crew tasks). The study's remark: how a rover's wheels behave in one-sixth g is a question parabolic flights can address, and VIPER's mobility work found lunar-weight Earth tests overoptimistic (see bmp2-viper); no source ties that to CLV-1.
Who built it¶
"Under the award, Astrolab and its teammates Axiom Space, Interlune and Odyssey Space Research will deliver CLV-1 and related services"
— NASA Selects Astrolab to Provide Lunar Rover for Artemis Astronauts’ Return to the Moon – Astrolab, Astrolab, 26 May 2026"CLV-1 uses the same tires, batteries, and battery management system developed for prior Astrolab rovers by Astrolab's strategic partner, Venturi Space."
— NASA Selects Astrolab to Provide Lunar Rover for Artemis Astronauts’ Return to the Moon – Astrolab"said Jaret Matthews, founder and CEO of Astrolab"
— NASA Selects Astrolab to Provide Lunar Rover for Artemis Astronauts’ Return to the Moon – Astrolab"NASA has awarded Astrolab $219 million and Lunar Outpost $220 million to build and deliver the first phase of LTVs."
— NASA Provides Update on Moon Base Rovers, Landers, Missions - NASA, 26 May 2026
Moon Base need¶
"# Lunar Terrain Vehicles"
— Moon Base Phases - NASA, Phase 1 section"NASA selected Blue Origin to deliver Astrolab's Crewed Lunar Vehicle (CLV-1)"
— Moon Base Phases - NASA""Deployment of large crewed and uncrewed rovers with speeds of 10 km/hr.""
— Moon to Mars knowledge base: Moon Base Phase 1 functional gaps, Users Guide, p. 9"| FN-M-302 L | Enable local unpressurized surface mobility in sunlit areas and non-PSRs in the south pole region on the lunar surface. |"
— Moon to Mars knowledge base: Moon Base Phase 1 functional gaps"| FN-M-304 L | Enable local unpressurized surface mobility in PSRs at the south pole region of the lunar surface. |"
— Moon to Mars knowledge base: Moon Base Phase 1 functional gaps"Phase 1 "Now through 2028""
— Moon to Mars knowledge base: Moon Base phases
Open questions¶
- Which CX-2 task order (CX-2A or CX-2B) delivers CLV-1, and does it land before or after Lunar Outpost's Pegasus? Not in public sources.
- Has any CLV-1 or FLEX hardware (wheels, deployment from the lander, mobility) been tested in reduced gravity in flight? Public sources show ground tests only.
- How CLV-1 comes off the Blue Moon lander (GeekWire's illustration shows the lander lowering an Astrolab rover): not described in detail in public sources.
- Is CLV-1 meant to enter permanently shadowed regions? Not stated.
- Will FLIP's results on Griffin-1 change CLV-1's design before delivery? Not in public sources.