Leidos, and its Dynetics crew, is teaming up with NASCAR to compete in another moon race, where it will show off its Lunar Terrain Vehicle. The details of the LTV were unveiled at the Space Foundation’s 38th annual Space Symposium this morning in Colorado.
“We are thrilled to unveil our lunar vehicle design and to announce our exciting new promotional partnership,” said Roger Krone, CEO of Leidos. “This groundbreaking collaboration between Leidos and NASCAR takes both companies into uncharted territory, just like we believe our rover will do for NASA and its astronauts. We aim to pave the way for human exploration of space and inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists and innovators to reach for the stars.”
Leidos is looking ahead to the next phase of NASA’s Artemis program. The company has submitted a bid for the Human Landing System Sustaining Lunar Development contract. It also is currently working on the Universal Stage Adapter (USA), a piece of equipment that will enable the transport of large payloads, including, potentially, the rover.
“As an industry leader in space technology, we are uniquely positioned to help NASA achieve its objectives, providing everything from necessary crew mobility to workhorse flexibility for building a lunar base,” said Steve Cook, president of Leidos Dynetics Group.
The rover design is simplistic, while incorporating modern innovations that prioritize sustainability and astronaut safety. It supports male and female crew members across varying height and weight scales, promoting inclusivity in space exploration, Leidos stated in its release.
“NASCAR partnering with Leidos couldn’t make more sense when it comes to this vehicle,” said Pete Jung, NASCAR senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “With both companies being known for exciting innovations in distinctive fields, this collaboration brings together ideas that normally don’t meet in other developments. We are eager to watch this uniquely designed rover traverse different areas of the lunar surface.”
Roush Industries, of Michigan, provides automotive design and manufacturing experience for the project. Other project partners include Collins Aerospace, Motiv Space Systems, Moog, A-P-T Research, Sophic Synergistics and the Center for Advanced Vehicle Systems at Mississippi State University.
Leidos is headquartered in Virginia. Leidos announced its purchase of Huntsville-based Dynetics in 2019 and completed the purchase in early 2020.
