GOLDEN, Colo. & RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Lunar Outpost announced Leidos (NYSE:LDOS), a Fortune 500® innovation leader, has joined the Lunar Dawn team, led by Lunar Outpost. The two companies will collaborate to develop a human-rated Moon rover as part of NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services (LTVS) contract, alongside General Motors (GM), The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and MDA Space.
Leidos brings to the team a focus on practices to protect the health and safety of the crew, reduce human error and enable the crew to operate the system in an effective and efficient manner. Leidos will also be sharing their expertise in supporting mission assurance, systems engineering, operations and integration planning. The Lunar Dawn team combines proven robotic and human space exploration heritage, cutting edge technology and automotive industry strengths to create a true off-road vehicle for living and working on the Moon’s surface.
“Leidos brings decades of experience and a deep understanding of the LTV project to the Lunar Dawn team. In fact, they have been working on an LTV design since 2020,” said Forrest Meyen, Lunar Dawn Program Manager and Co-Founder at Lunar Outpost. “Astronaut safety is our number one priority when building our vehicle, and we are thrilled to have the industry leader in human-centered design on our team.”
Leidos has been supporting deep space exploration and human spaceflight for over 50 years, working closely with NASA delivering Class A, human-rated programs. Recently, the company was awarded a $476 million NASA Cargo Mission Support contract.
The Lunar Dawn team, led by Lunar Outpost, was awarded the LTV contract by NASA in April 2024. The LTV is an unpressurized rover that will allow astronauts to travel a greater distance from a landing site—maximizing scientific discovery and exploration of the lunar surface. When not in use by NASA, the LTV will provide commercial services, contributing to a more accessible and sustainable cislunar economy.
About Lunar Outpost
Lunar Outpost is the industry leader in lunar surface mobility, commercial space robotics and space resources. From our terrestrial product lines revolutionizing the air quality sector on Earth to the creation of oxygen on Mars, our impact spans the solar system. Lunar Outpost’s exploration class rover, the Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP), will be the first commercial rover on the Moon and the first rover in history to explore the lunar South Pole later this year.
Since our founding in 2017, Lunar Outpost has raised Venture Capital from top-tier investors and continues to attract strong investment partners as we demonstrate how advanced mobility, robotics and autonomy deliver value to the New Space economy. In 2021, Lunar Outpost announced that our commercially-funded MAPP rover was scheduled for delivery by an Intuitive Machines lander to the lunar South Pole. Lunar Outpost has secured three additional contracted lunar surface missions and is leading the Lunar Dawn team, a consortium uniquely positioned to develop the most capable off-road vehicle for Artemis Astronauts living and working on the Moon. Along with the missions above, Lunar Outpost has also won a contract with the Australian Space Agency to design a lunar rover for Australia’s first mission to the Moon as part of the Trailblazer program.
With over a dozen active contracts across commercial, defense and civil space, Lunar Outpost is The Next Leap that will enable humanity to become interplanetary.
Find out more at lunaroutpost.com. Follow us on X, LinkedIn, Instagram.
About Leidos
Leidos is a Fortune 500® innovation company rapidly addressing the world’s most vexing challenges in national security and health. The company's global workforce of 47,000 collaborates to create smarter technology solutions for customers in heavily regulated industries. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $15.4 billion for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2023. For more information, visit www.leidos.com.
