SpaceX will send the FLEX rover to the Moon, which will be used to transport astronauts and cargo

Astrolab has announced that it has signed an agreement with SpaceX to take its Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover to the Moon, where it will be used to transport cargo and astronauts.

FLEX will be transported to the Moon by the Starship spacecraft as part of an unmanned mission scheduled in the middle of 2026. According to Astrolab, this is SpaceX's first commercial contract to deliver cargo to the Moon. The amount of the deal is not specified.

The FLEX rover together with the cargo will weigh a little more than two tons. It's slightly larger than NASA's Perseverance rover and goes much faster: it can move at a speed of up to 24 km/h. FLEX will also be able to carry two astronauts, who will steer it using a side panel. In addition, the rover can be controlled from Earth. FLEX is built to meet the requirements of NASA's Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), which will be a standard part of the long-term Artemis mission.

FLEX has a robotic arm, through which loading and unloading of various loads will be carried out. Astrolab has already signed several contracts with customers to carry payloads for the upcoming mission. The details of these deals are not yet disclosed, at the moment it is known that the mission to send FLEX to the Moon is completely commercial and will be carried out without funding from NASA.

Mr. Matthews said Astrolab would make money by lifting and deploying cargo for customers on the lunar surface. That could include scientific instruments. In the future, the rover could help build lunar infrastructure.

“Essentially providing what I like to call last-mile mobility on the moon,” Mr. Matthews told The New York Times. “You can kind of think of it like being U.P.S. for the moon. And in this analogy, Starship is the container ship crossing the ocean, and we’re the local distribution solution.”