Featured Image Credit: NASA
Topics: NASA, Science, Space, Technology, World News
Tom Earnshaw
NASA has revealed footage of what its new Moon space car will look like, with it at the core of unveiling further secrets of the universe.
The state of the art Moon buggy will form part of the space agency's Artemis missions, which will put astronauts back on the space rock for the first time since 1972.
And it wont be a one off. Rather, it'll be the beginning of a new round the clock presence with a goal of establishing a permanent Moon base.
The aim after then? It's all eyes on Mars.
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At the core of the Artemis project is the Moon buggy, dubbed the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV).
It'll be the best money can buy, with $4.6 billion (£3.63 billion) dedicated to the project over the next decade and a half.
Once on the Moon, the LTV will give astronauts the ability to do more than they've ever previously done.
The harsh landscape and incredible cold means scientists will need to act fast, with the LTV even able to do unmanned visits to parts of the Moon that humans simply can't go due to the harsh conditions - even in space suits.
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Ultimately it'll give NASA the ability to 'visit places never explored before' as well as 'go deeper into our solar system'.
NASA says: "We are going to the Moon. With NASA's Artemis campaign, we will explore the moon in new ways, travel vast distances and discover more than ever before; all while learning how to live and work on another celestial body.
"A next generation lunar terrain vehicle will take us to places never visited by astronauts.
"Harsh landscape, extreme cold and limited sunlight at the moon's south pole demand a truly off road and off planet vehicle.
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"it will let us conduct science and locate new resources, and that will help us go deeper into our solar system. We are building on over five decades of experience and this time it will operate with or without astronauts on board, enabling continuous exploration and science on the lunar surface.
"We're sending a robust vehicle that can stand up to the challenges of the moon's south pole for new discoveries, for places never explored, for the benefit of all. Welcome to the Artemis generation’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle."
The LTV wont arrive on the Moon until 2030, so there's still a good few years before we see it in action.
But after then, the universe is our oyster. Bring it on.