FLEX rover
A large modular rover that can haul up to about 1.6 tonnes of cargo or carry two suited astronauts. Astrolab plans it as the main vehicle for building out lunar infrastructure.
Why it matters
Most rovers are science instruments on wheels. FLEX is meant as a utility truck that can pick up and set down modular payloads, so one vehicle can serve many customers and later help build a lunar base.
How the technology works
FLEX, short for Flexible Logistics and Exploration, uses a wheel-on-limb suspension that raises and lowers its chassis, so it can collect a payload, carry it and lower it to the ground, driving on its own or with two astronauts aboard. Astrolab announced plans to land the first FLEX on a SpaceX Starship, with more than $160 million in customer contracts.
Its NASA crewed rover, CLV-1, is based on the FLEX design.
Sources
Updated Oct 22, 2026 · How we source facts · Suggest a correction