It is about building roads to circulate on the Moon

Will wheeled space vehicles be able to travel on roads on lunar soil? There are several companies that have already presented their proposals to NASA

NASA has set one of its main objectives to set foot on the Moon again and, now, to do so in a much more continuous way over time. The missions that bring together the Artemis project will allow explore the surface of the Moon more closely. In fact, it is even being considered to create a space base to develop new research on the Earth’s natural satellite. To this end, it is even planned to organize the land for potential road construction.

The Moon will be the object of study and infrastructure in just a few decades

A research program has been in preparation for years. ad hoc centered on the Moon. From the construction of a set of pipes to transport oxygen to the incorporation of roads to circulate on its surface, projects have been presented that require a large financial contribution to be carried out in the future. In this sense, there have also been programs focused on building the ultimate all-terrain vehicle for traveling long distances.

The movement of lunar traffic in the future could be managed through roads. POT

It is no longer about simple buggies or any common rover prototype. On this occasion, ideas are being developed that would allow autonomous driving on the surface of the satellite or, simply, enjoy rides under the control of the astronauts. Thanks to the driving assistants it has, it could be controlled directly by NASA from Earth. In addition, it would have improved autonomy, which would allow it to travel a greater distance on each trip.

The initial plan, according to information from Interesting Engineering, is allocate an amount of about 4,000 million dollars to find the definitive means of transportation on the lunar soil. The program will still be delayed several years, since the stages that make up the Artemis mission must first occur. Even so, the aerospace race does not stop accelerating its pace, so it would not be strange to see advances in the matter.

Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab are the three companies that have formulated their own lunar rover development projects. The presentation of new proposals is not ruled out in an industry that has proven to be a benchmark in innovation. The Perseverance rover has already been operating without problems on Mars for more than a thousand days, but this new generation of vehicles will be much more interesting from a technological point of view. Will there be roads on the Moon? It could be a reality in just a few decades.