SAN ANTONIO - Astroport Space Technologies Inc. in San Antonio, Texas, and Venturi Astrolab Inc. in Hawthorne, Calif., have completed a field demonstration of a prototype lunar excavator payload, marking an early step toward automated lunar construction, the companies said.
The demonstration used a specialized excavator integrated with Astrolab’s Flexible Logistics and Exploration rover (FLEX), a heavy-duty planetary mobility platform designed to transport, deploy, and support surface payloads on the Moon and Mars. Company officials described the test as a proof of concept for a broader family of autonomous construction tools intended for lunar site preparation.
The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish what they describe as a "science-to-construction" pipeline, linking lunar site assessment with automated civil engineering. The agreement focuses on integrating Astroport’s autonomous construction tools with the FLEX rover as a common mobility and deployment platform.
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FLEX platform
Astrolab says its FLEX platform is designed to deliver up to 1,600 kilograms of customer cargo and 3 cubic meters of customer cargo to the lunar surface, while providing onboard services including electrical power, data handling, thermal management, and payload deployment via a robotic arm. The rover features a wheel-on-limb mobility system that allows it to raise or lower chassis ground clearance to adapt to uneven lunar or Martian terrain while maintaining stability.
The rover is equipped with a six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm that can handle payloads exceeding 25 kilograms within a two-meter workspace, and a modular end effector designed to support a range of mechanical and electrical interfaces.
Under the collaboration, the FLEX rover is expected to serve as the primary carrier for Astroport’s interchangeable construction implements, enabling autonomous excavation and surface preparation on the Moon. Planned applications include clearing and leveling terrain for high-mass payloads, constructing landing and launch pads, and building lunar roadways to support future logistics operations.
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The companies said that prepared surfaces could help mitigate plume-surface interaction caused by spacecraft landings and departures, a key concern for sustained lunar operations.
"Leading with this successful excavator demo proves that our technology is no longer theoretical. It is operational," said Sam Ximenes, chief executive officer of Astroport. "By leveraging the FLEX platform, we are providing the Space Force, NASA, and commercial partners with a shovel-ready construction capability."
Jaret Matthews, chief executive officer of Astrolab, said the FLEX rover is designed to support a wide range of surface missions. "By combining our mobility platform with Astroport’s civil engineering tools, we are delivering capabilities needed for long-term lunar infrastructure," Matthews said.
FLEX uses a modular flight software architecture derived from systems flown on multiple NASA missions, the company said. The architecture abstracts vehicle operations to allow customer payloads to vary the level of control over rover functions, and supports reusable and portable payload integration. The rover also includes dust-tolerant quick-disconnect interfaces and blind-mate umbilicals to supply payloads with regulated power, data connectivity, and thermal services.
