NASA’s October 20, 2026, lunar rover update described astronaut evaluations of Astrolab’s CLV-1 and Lunar Outpost’s Pegasus. Astronauts assessed a CLV-1 mockup at Axiom Space using mockup lunar suits. At NASA’s Johnson Space Center, astronauts wearing pressurized suits evaluated a third Pegasus static mockup for usability and crew comfort.
These evaluations form part of work under contracts awarded in May. NASA selected Astrolab for a $219 million task order and Lunar Outpost for a $220 million task order under its Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract. The Phase 1 High Achievability Mission awards use firm-fixed-price, performance-based milestones to develop the vehicles.
The two rovers are intended to transport astronauts and support operations without crew aboard. NASA’s May announcement described Pegasus as capable of manual, autonomous, and remotely controlled driving, with a planned operating life of up to one year. These modes allow the same vehicle to support astronaut travel and activities conducted between crew visits.
Astrolab adapted CLV-1 from its Flexible Logistics and Exploration Vehicle architecture. Axiom Space’s description of the design identifies astronaut transport and supplies as its main purpose. Axiom contributes spacesuit integration, crew displays and controls, tool design, operations, and human systems engineering to a team that also includes Interlune and Odyssey Space Research.
The packaging requirements reflect the difference between carrying a rover aboard a lander and operating it on the surface. Axiom lists CLV-1’s stowed dimensions as approximately 2 meters long, 2.3 meters wide, and 2.2 meters tall. After deployment, its length increases to approximately 4 meters, with an antenna height of about 2.6 meters. Its stated maximum mass is 950 kilograms, and its design speed on level ground is 10 kilometers per hour.
The current evaluations continue an earlier program of crew testing. New Space Economy’s account of commercial rover tests describes NASA evaluations conducted from October through December 2024. Those tests used static mockups and equipment that partially supported a suited astronaut’s weight to approximate lunar gravity. Such evaluations examine whether astronauts can enter, leave, reach controls, and perform tasks in their suits.
Wheel testing addresses a separate part of vehicle performance. NASA said both teams would conduct tests at its Glenn Research Center in the weeks following the October update. Astrolab will evaluate flexible airless wheels, and Lunar Outpost examines the traction and mobility of Pegasus spring mesh tires on simulated lunar soil.
NASA has assigned lunar delivery to Blue Origin through Commercial Lunar Payload Services. This separates the rover development work from the service that transports the vehicles to the lunar south pole region.
The agency schedules Lunar Outpost’s preliminary design review for October and Astrolab’s for December 2026. Its stated schedule calls for flight-ready hardware at the end of 2027 and lunar delivery by 2028.
Useful Books Available on Amazon
