This electric and solar-powered FLEX Rover is hitching a ride with SpaceX to study the moon
With its solar-powered electric Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) Rover, Venturi Astrolab is on a mission to move humanity forward by designing and building interplanetary vehicles designed to transport people and cargo. Venturi announced Friday that its FLEX Rover will be launched on an upcoming SpaceX mission as the largest and most capable rover to travel the moon.
A new solar-powered electric FLEX rover will study the moon
Venturi Astrolab was established in 2021 and includes a team of highly specialized former NASA, SpaceX, and JPL engineers with experience in planetary robotics, electric vehicles, spaceflight, and more.
The Venturi Astrolab is part of the Venturi Group, which has specialized in designing and building high-performance electric vehicles since 2000.
Venturi Group President Gildo Pastor envisioned the electric lunar rover program in 2019, creating Venturi Lab shortly after. The three companies (Venturi Group, Venturi Astrolab, and Venturi Lab) are collaborating on the FLEX rover initiative.
Venturi Group will bring its expertise in building high-performance batteries. Venturi Labs creates materials resistant to extreme temperatures and radiation, as well as high-performance solar panels, deformable wheels, and electronic control systems.
Meanwhile, Venturi Astrolab is designing the electric rover’s architecture, structure, and mechanisms, alongside developing its software and avionics, and assembly.
The Flex electric Rover features a deployable 3m² solar array that can stow away during high-intensity operations. The vehicle’s four-wheel crab-walk feature allows it to keep the solar panels facing the sun while driving while the energy is stored in the FLEX’s internal batteries.
Astrolab revealed Friday it has reached an agreement with SpaceX to transport the FLEX rover on an upcoming mission to the moon as soon as mid-2026.
Once landed, the FLEX rover will be the largest and most capable rover to touch down and travel on the moon.
More than a rover, FLEX is a logistics system
Jared Mathews, founder and CEO of Astrolab, says the team has “created much more than a rover for use on the Moon or Mars.” He explains:
We’ve created a logistics system that can accommodate a wide variety of cargo. We expect that this approach will help establish a permanent lunar outpost on the Moon at a lower cost and in less time than previously envisioned.
The FLEX rover includes a highly dexterous six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm and remote science mast to pick up and examine objects. With the remote science masts stereo cameras, the rover can see the field in 3D.
In addition, a suite of sensors allows the FLEX can operate semiautonomously, allowing it to self-align with and pick up payloads.
SpaceX’s senior VP of commercial business added:
Developing sustainable outposts will require lunar logistics and transportation on the surface of the Moon, like what Astrolab offers. We look forward to working with the Astrolab team to deliver their FLEX Rover to the surface of the Moon.
Testing of the electric Flex Rover is ongoing, with the team testing a full-scale, fully functional prototype in the California desert last year. Astrolab says testing has continued in lunar analog sites and will continue throughout this year as it prepares for liftoff.
SpaceX will use the starship launch and landing system for the mission “as soon as mid-2026,” which it could get its launch license for within the next two weeks for. Learn more about SpaceX’s Starship launch here.
More details about the FLEX rover electric powertrain, battery system, and solar panels are expected soon. Check back for details.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Tesla’s Q2 results are in, and they are way, way down from Q2 of 2024. At the same time, Nissan seems to be in serious trouble and the first-ever all-electric Dodge muscle car is getting recalled because its dumb engine noises are the wrong kind of dumb engine noises. All this and more on today’s deeply troubled episode of Quick Charge!
We’ve also got an awesome article from Micah Toll about a hitherto unexplored genre of electric lawn equipment, a $440 million mining equipment deal, and a list of incompetent, corrupt, and stupid politicians who voted away their constituents’ futures to line their pockets.
Source Links
Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.
Got news? Let us know!
Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Jaque Silva | Nurphoto | Getty Images
OpenAI is distancing itself from Robinhood‘s latest crypto push after the trading platform began offering tokenized shares of OpenAI and SpaceX to users in Europe.
“These ‘OpenAI tokens’ are not OpenAI equity,” OpenAI wrote on X. “We did not partner with Robinhood, were not involved in this, and do not endorse it.”
The company said that “any transfer of OpenAI equity requires our approval — we did not approve any transfer,” and warned users to “please be careful.”
Robinhood announced the launch Monday from Cannes, France, as part of a broader product showcase focused on tokenized equities, staking, and a new blockchain infrastructure play. The company’s stock surged above $100 to hit a new all-time high following the news.
“These tokens give retail investors indirect exposure to private markets, opening up access, and are enabled by Robinhood’s ownership stake in a special purpose vehicle,” a Robinhood spokesperson said in response to the OpenAI post.
Robinhood offered 5 euros worth of OpenAI and SpaceX tokens to eligible EU users who signed up to trade stock tokens by July 7. The assets are issued under the EU’s looser investor restrictions via Robinhood’s crypto platform.
“This is about expanding access,” said Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood’s SVP and GM of crypto. “The goal with tokenization is to let anyone participate in this economy.”
The episode highlights the dynamic between crypto platforms seeking to democratize access to financial products and the companies whose names and equity are being represented on-chain
U.S. users cannot access these tokens due to regulatory restrictions.
Despite the warnings, BYD continues introducing new discounts. On Wednesday, BYD’s luxury off-road brand began offering over 50% Huawei’s smart driving tech.
BYD introduces new discounts on smart driving tech
After BYD cut prices again in May, the China Automobile Manufacturers Association (CAMA) warned that the ultra-low prices are “triggering a new round of price war panic.”
Although they didn’t single out BYD, it was pretty obvious. BYD slashed prices across 22 of its vehicles by up to 34%, triggering several automakers to follow suit in China.
BYD’s cheapest EV, the Seagull, typically starts at about $10,000 (66,800 yuan). After the price cuts, the Seagull is listed at under $8,000 (55,800 yuan).
It doesn’t look like China’s EV leader plans to slow down anytime soon. Fang Cheng Bao, BYD’s luxury off-road brand, introduced new discounts on Huawei’s smart driving tech on Wednesday.
The limited-time offer cuts the price of Huawei’s Qiankun Intelligent Driving High-end Function Package to just 12,000 yuan ($1,700).
Buyers who order the smart driving tech in July will save over 50% compared to its typical price of 32,000 yuan ($4,500).
Earlier this year, Fang Chang Bao launched the Tai 3, its most affordable vehicle, starting at 139,800 yuan ($19,300). The Tai 3 is about the size of the Tesla Model Y, but costs about half as much.
The Tai 3 will spearhead a new sub-brand of electric SUVs following the more premium Bao 8 and Bao 5 hybrid SUVs.
BYD’s luxury off-road brand sold 18,903 vehicles last month, up 50% from May and 605% compared to last year. Fang Cheng Bao has now sold over 10,000 vehicles for three consecutive months.
The Chinese EV giant sold 382,585 vehicles in total in June, an increase of 12% from last year. In the first half of the year, BYD’s cumulative sales reached over 2.1 million, a YOY increase of 33%.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike