Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover, Venturi Astrolab, Inc., Hawthorne, California, USA

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Developer - Venturi Astrolab, Inc.

astrolab.space/flex

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"Astrolab Advances Lunar Mobility with FLEX Rover"
Recently tested by retired astronaut Chris Hadfield, the adaptive, multi-use rover can autonomously swap payloads, mobilize astronauts and more, enabling the next generation of planetary exploration and discovery

March 10, 2022

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Astrolab Advances Lunar Mobility with FLEX Rover

Mar 11, 2022

Developed by a team of industry-leading planetary rover and robotics experts, Astrolab’s Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover is built to enhance Lunar and planetary mobility.

Astrolab’s FLEX rover unique commercial potential comes from its novel mobility system architecture, which gives it the ability to pick up and deposit modular payloads in support of robotic science, exploration, logistics, site survey/preparation, construction, resource utilization, and other activities critical to a sustained presence on the Moon and beyond. Built with adaptive utility in mind, FLEX can also serve as an unpressurized rover for a crew of two astronauts, in line with NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) requirements.

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Astrolab FLEX Rover: robotic arm operations

Mar 31, 2023

FLEX's six degree-of-freedom, 2.4m long, robotic arm has a dust tolerant, swappable end effector. This gives FLEX the ability to extract payloads, instruments, and tools from a mezzanine onboard the rover.

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Article "A Big Rover Aims to Be Like ‘U.P.S. for the Moon’"
A small company, Astrolab, announced a deal with SpaceX to send a robotic version of its transport vehicle to the lunar surface and help deploy other company’s payloads.

by Kenneth Chang
March 31, 2023