The Astrolab startup revealed which has signed a deal with Elon Musk’s private space firm SpaceX to reserve a spot on an uncrewed Starship cargo mission that could launch in mid-2026.
“This is SpaceX’s first commercial cargo contract to the lunar surface,” Jaret Matthews, Astrolab’s chief executive, told The New York Times, adding that his company was one of the few “customers” involved in the flight.
Although the next-generation rocket hasn’t flown yet, it doesn’t stop SpaceX from booking Starship flights for private companies.
Astrolab is building a vehicle that it hopes will one day transport equipment, supplies and people across the lunar surface. The Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover is about the size of a Jeep Wrangler, making it slightly larger than NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars.
It also features a robotic arm to help with loading and can travel up to 15 miles per hour, plus the FLEX can carry up to two astronauts.
Once it lands on the Moon, Astrolab claims FLEX will become the largest rover to travel the lunar surface. Matthews also told The Times that Astrolab already has customers hoping to use the rover to transport cargo during the 2026 Starship mission.
“Looking further into the future,” Matthews added that FLEX could help build a permanent human presence on the Moon and beyond.
“Ultimately, our goal is to have a fleet of rovers on both the Moon and Mars,” he said. “And I really think I see these vehicles as the ultimate catalysts for the alien economy,” he added.
Keep reading:
Musk replaces Twitter’s blue bird logo with “Doge” meme, “as promised”
Video: Telescope captures mysterious image of a spiral flying over Hawaii
Elon Musk wants to build his own city in Texas where his employees live and work