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Lunar Terrain Vehicle
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Lunar Terrain Vehicle

NASA's planned pressurised lunar rover for Artemis surface operations, allowing crew to travel beyond walking distance from the landing site.

Last refreshed: 6 April 2026

Key Question

NASA's Moon rover has three competing builders. Will any of them be ready in time?

Latest on Lunar Terrain Vehicle

#56 Apr

MDA's Commercial Pivot Overtakes Ottawa's Silence

Common Questions
What is NASA's Lunar Terrain Vehicle and when will it be ready?
The LTV is NASA's programme for a pressurised Moon rover for Artemis surface operations. Phase 1 contracts went to Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab in 2023; no final down-select or confirmed delivery date has been announced.Source: NASA
How far can astronauts travel from the lunar lander on Artemis?
On foot, astronauts are limited to roughly 1 km from the lander due to suit constraints. The Lunar Terrain Vehicle is designed to extend that range to weeks-long sorties across the surface.Source: NASA

Background

The Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) is NASA's programme to deliver a pressurised, long-range rover for Artemis crewed surface operations. It emerged in the Artemis II coverage as a named target platform for MDA Space's Skymaker robotic arm product line, indicating commercial suppliers are already competing for LTV subsystem contracts while the programme is still in its early phases.

NASA awarded LTV Phase 1 contracts to three companies in 2023: Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab. The rover is designed to extend crew range far beyond walking distance from the landing site, allowing week-long sorties across the lunar surface. Unlike the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle, the LTV is intended for semi-autonomous operation as well as crewed use, and must sustain dormancy between missions.

The LTV is one of the critical pieces of Artemis surface architecture that does not yet exist in hardware. Its development timeline is tied to the overall Artemis schedule, which has slipped repeatedly. MDA's early pitch of Skymaker arms for LTV integration suggests the commercial supply chain is moving faster than the programme itself.