Astrolab's FLEX Rover to Join SpaceX Mission for Lunar Exploration

Astrolab Inc., a startup building a rover the size of a Jeep Wrangler, has signed an agreement with SpaceX for its Flexible Logistics and Exploration Rover (FLEX) to be a payload on an uncrewed Starship cargo mission to the moon's south polar region as early as mid-2026. The FLEX rover will provide last-mile mobility on the moon, with a robotic arm to help set up the payload on the surface. Astrolab hopes to win future business from NASA, which is turning to commercial companies to provide lunar terrain vehicles for astronauts.