American start-up Astrolabe Fleck described him as “the biggest and most efficient pirate ever to land on the moon”.
American startup Astrolabe has announced that it will launch a rover in early 2026, although SpaceX has yet to finish exploring space in orbit.
He describes Astrolabe as “the largest and most capable rover ever to land on the moon” and plans to develop it for future missions to Mars.
Once completed, it will be able to carry two astronauts and cargo to the lunar surface at a speed of 24 kilometers per hour, and will also feature a robotic arm.
“We’ve built a logistics system that can handle all kinds of goods,” said Astrolab CEO Jarrett Matthews.
“We hope this will help create a permanent moon station that will take less time and be smaller than previously planned.”
Astrolabe has already begun ground-based testing of a flexible rover prototype that will transport crew and equipment to the moon in the California desert environment.
Space trials are also underway, with the first launch planned for later this month. The launch is subject to approval by aviation regulators.
SpaceX has already successfully tested a prototype for high-altitude space, although many early tests ended in explosions.
At 120 meters from the launcher, Starship will be the largest rocket ever built.
SpaceX plans to develop a reusable rocket system to establish a human colony on Mars.
The spacecraft is designed to carry large amounts of cargo, including rovers to explore the Moon and Mars, said Tom Ochinero, senior vice president of commercial operations at SpaceX.
Sustainable resource generation requires transportation to the Moon and Earth, provided by Astrolabe.
We look forward to working with the Astrolab team to launch the Flak Rover to the lunar surface.
Astrolabe hopes to be part of future plans to colonize Mars. The company plans to deploy its fleet of flexible Mars rovers on both the Moon and the Red Planet.
