Tesla may have launched its Roadster into space in 2018, but it was still General Motors that started the trend by contributing valuable expertise to the construction of the Apollo 15 moon rover in 1971. Supported by Lockheed Martin, it has now announced a new such project called the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV).
Lockheed Martin, which has a history of cooperating with NASA on aeronautical projects spanning 50 years, will support the automaker. The main contribution expected from GM is its experience in building battery-electric platforms and powertrains. Perhaps more importantly, the company will be using its semi-autonomous driving tech to help control the lunar rover in a more efficient and failsafe fashion.
The previous Apollo missions had never traveled farther than 4.7 miles, or 7.6 kilometers, from their landing points. GM and Lockheed Martin plan to extend that distance all the way to the South Pole of the Moon, which is a particularly cold and dark place with rugged terrain that has never been explored before.