General Motors Co. will help develop batteries for new manned rovers to be driven by NASA astronauts on the moon.
NASA awarded private space startup Lunar Outpost $220 million on Tuesday to build the Pegasus vehicle with help from GM, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and tech company Leidos.
NASA plans for astronauts to drive the rover on the moon during Artemis missions in 2028.
“GM’s electrification technology was built to perform in some of Earth’s toughest driving conditions, and adapting it for the Moon with space-rated batteries is an extraordinary technical challenge,” GM Defense President Stephen duMont said in a statement. “Helping astronauts once again travel safely across the lunar surface will be a proud moment for our team and our country.”
NASA plans to use the rover on the moon’s South Pole, where GM says batteries must withstand extreme temperature swings.
GM’s role in battery development for NASA likely will help its work making commercial electric vehicle batteries. Low temperatures typically cut the distance EVs can drive without needing to be recharged. Different battery chemistries can combat the effects of the cold but often come with a higher price tag.
sballentine@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: General Motors to make batteries for NASA’s new manned moon rover
Reporting by Summer Ballentine, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
