Two iterations of the solar-powered Eagle roamed the family ranch of Lunar Outpost founder Justin Cyrus, who invited TV cameras, journalists and other media to take a peek last week at what the Golden-based space company has been up to for the past few years.<\/p>\n
Normally, few humans are wandering around the property. The cattle were moved out of sight. Cyrus warned that other wildlife could wander into the path. \u201cWatch out for rattlesnakes,\u201d he told the humans. \u201cIf you hear a rattle, make sure you stop, evaluate the situation and then go the other way.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Lunar Outpost\u2019s latest iteration of its Eagle Lunar Terrain Vehicle is being tested in Southern Colorado, near Rye. The Golden-based company\u2019s rover is competing for a service contract for NASA\u2019s Artemis mission to provide transport for moon exploration. On the left is the latest model, nicknamed Falcon. In the video, an earlier prototype called Raven, was offering rides. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)<\/p>\n
If all goes Lunar Outpost\u2019s way, NASA will award the Lunar Dawn team \u2014 which includes partners Goodyear, GM, MDA Space and Leidos \u2014 a service contract<\/a> for the lunar terrain vehicle, or LTV.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s competition. NASA narrowed it down to three LTV finalists<\/a> in April 2024 for the Artemis Program, the U.S. mission to get humans back on the moon<\/a>. A winner could be announced by the end of the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n The other two finalists are Venturi Astrolab in the Los Angeles area, and Houston-based Intuitive Machines, which last year sent America\u2019s first spacecraft back to the moon<\/a> since the Apollo program in 1972. Intuitive Machines also carried Lunar Outpost\u2019s first rover called MAPP<\/a> \u2014\u00a0 short for mobile autonomous prospecting platform \u2014 to the moon\u2019s South Pole in March. The lander landed on its side and in a crater causing MAPP to get stuck<\/a>. It couldn\u2019t recharge. But it arrived in working order<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n All three companies are part of a new effort to open space up to commercial companies.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe goal of Lunar Outpost is to help create a sustainable human presence in space,\u201d said Michael Moreno, the company\u2019s vice president of strategy. \u201cIt\u2019s not enough to launch a rocket. It\u2019s not enough to land in one place with a lander and sit there. We need to be mobile to expand humankind\u2019s reach into space.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf we want to build a habitation, you can\u2019t put it right next to a rocket landing site. You need miles. I mean, think about Kennedy Space Center. You\u2019re not sitting right next to the launch pad. Mobility is the key to unlocking a sustainable human presence in space, which is why we focused on that.\u201d<\/p>\n How Eagle\u2019s training ground landed south of Rye<\/p>\n Cyrus cofounded Lunar Outpost with his older brother, Julian, and AJ Gemer and Forest Meyen. Younger brother Austin also works for the company.<\/p>\n The Cyrus brothers have a history with outer space. They grew up<\/a> outside of Johnson Space Center in Houston, where their father worked for NASA. <\/p>\n Many of Lunar Outpost\u2019s crew have ties to Colorado School of Mines or University of Colorado in Boulder, both of which are recognized for their curriculum and contributions to aerospace. Justin went to both schools, and has an CU engineering degree and ended at Mines with a Masters of Science.<\/p>\n \u201cWe go way back,\u201d said Angel Abbud-Madrid, a professor and director of the Center for Space Resources at Mines. \u201cHe and his brother, Austin, went through our space resources graduate program and we\u2019ve been working with them closely.\u201d<\/p>\n Many space companies work with Mines. The school recently opened a test facility<\/a> with simulated regolith to mimic the ground layer found on the moon.\u00a0 The manufactured moon dust is made from basaltic volcanic material and ground to the right consistency. Carcinogenic material is removed but anyone who steps in the room needs a special mask since the dust can get into lungs. In the 100-square-meter facility, a lighting system also replicates conditions on the moon.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s open to organizations like NASA or companies like Lunar Outpost, and other universities \u2014 anyone who wants to use this for rovers, excavators, drilling machines or any robotic manipulators or equipment,\u201d Abbud-Madrid said. \u201cYou can even take your rover there and control it from anywhere in the world or space if you want so you can replicate how you\u2019re going to be controlling such a vehicle from Earth. It even produces a delay in the signal.\u201d<\/p>\n Lunar Outpost, which employs about 150 people, has its mission-control operations in Arvada, where employees can check in on the rover wherever it is.<\/p>\n But they needed a much more expansive, remote area where the rover could drive around with humans safely on the sidelines or in the vehicle and operate unnoticed by the public. The rovers operate autonomously, by manual control or are controlled remotely from Arvada.\u00a0<\/p>\n The family ranch in a remote part of Colorado seemed like a good solution so they started using it for the first mission about two years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe Colorado School of Mines is a much better facility for geo-technically accurate regolith, for accurate lunar soil. But it\u2019s fairly small in the grand scheme of things. You don\u2019t get these massive landscapes. What we wanted to do is put our operators in mission control and train them like they\u2019re on the surface of the moon \u2014 remotely and not have anyone touch the robot,\u201d Cyrus said. \u201cI just had to convince my parents to let me tear up the front of the ranch.\u201d<\/p>\n On the ranch property, there\u2019s an area to mimic the moon\u2019s surface, with homemade craters, small hills and stacks of jagged shale rocks. On the back part of the property, there\u2019s lots of space for a rover to roam.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOver there you\u2019ll notice some pretty massive ravines,\u201d said Cyrus, after taking spectators to an area that overlooked a valley bordered by cliffs and dotted with dull grasses and shrubs and lots of pale Colorado dirt. \u201cYou have a lot of very extreme features on the surface of the moon. You have giant craters. You have lunar lava tubes. You have massive boulder fields. This area in the back allows us to test a lot of those key features.\u201d<\/p>\n They also test the rover\u2019s operation up and down slopes of up to 20-degrees, a NASA requirement. Long slopes are a challenge for electric vehicles because of battery use.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to make sure the power management on these vehicles is very efficient as we\u2019re going over these extreme environments,\u201d he said. \u201cHere, we\u2019ll put a robot out autonomously and operate it for a week or two weeks at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n It happened to hit 90\u00b0F that day, a more palatable temperature than the extremes<\/a> on the moon of 250\u00b0F in daylight to -208\u00b0F at night, according to NASA.<\/p>\n The rovers have broken \u201cdozens of times,\u201d he said. \u201cThe good news, though, it\u2019s never driven into a ravine. It\u2019s never hit a giant rock. It\u2019s never been totaled. The rover is doing very well.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n And you\u2019ll know you\u2019re at the right place if you spot a metal sign that says, \u201cLunar Vehicle Test Site.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s the handiwork of Bill Mansfield, an owner of the Greenhorn Valley Ace Hardware in nearby Colorado City. He\u2019d worked on other signage for the brothers\u2019 father, who shares bits and pieces about the project whenever he stops by. A former Ace employee worked for the brothers, so there\u2019s another local link. But no one in town is really buzzing about it because they probably don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of out there where nobody really is and I think that\u2019s probably part of the reason why they picked that spot,\u201d said Mansfield, who\u2019s seen the LTV but not in action. \u201cIt\u2019s really cool, especially if they can get it accomplished. It\u2019s a neat project.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Colorado Sun reporter Tamara Chuang got a ride in one of Lunar Outpost\u2019s lunar terrain vehicle prototypes. The \u201cRaven\u201d rover was the first prototype for the company\u2019s Eagle LTV, which is competing to be picked by NASA to help astronauts get around the moon later this decade. (Mike Sweeney, The Colorado Sun)<\/p>\n Behind the design<\/p>\n One of the most noticeable adaptations for testing on Earth are the vehicle\u2019s tires. They\u2019re regular rubber Goodyear Wrangler tires built for backroads terrain.\u00a0<\/p>\n On the moon, however, the rover will be fitted with something entirely different \u2014 metal tires that look like wire strands woven together, akin to a Medieval knight\u2019s chain mail. That\u2019s to prevent a broken piece from ruining the whole tire.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re very low maintenance. These tires can last over 10 years on the lunar surface at a time without any maintenance,\u201d Cyrus said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The proprietary metal tires, made by Lunar Dawn teammate, Goodyear, provide traction but also absorb impact. Cyrus showed how the metal tire bounced on the ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n The latest Eagle prototype, called Falcon, seats two astronauts and has a large bed to transport whatever space items are needed \u2014\u00a0 up to about 5,300 pounds. Many features on the vehicle were designed with humans in mind, from adding fenders to mitigate dust, ledges on the sides to provide work surfaces, and inlay lighting on the floors and exterior to help astronauts instantly know where they are around the vehicle.\u00a0<\/p>\n The seats have deep gaps in the back to handle astronauts\u2019 oxygen tanks. Giant handles to steer the vehicle accommodate the pressurized gloves astronauts wear. A rack of useful metal tools, like a shovel, work light and sledgehammer are attached using a quick-connect system on a gridded panel inspired by their own off-road adventures using MOLLE panels.<\/p>\n There\u2019s 360-degree cameras, multiple sensors and lidar to determine depth. Dual-sided solar panels for the roof slide to the sides as needed or can be deployed elsewhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOne thing we\u2019ve learned from all the mission operations of our early rovers is power is key,\u201d Cyrus said. \u201cYou want to be able to drive as far as possible, stop, charge and download data, especially on the early missions where we\u2019re limited to only 14 Earth days. Landers don\u2019t survive alone at night so we have to get as much data down as possible.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Missing at least on this day was the meter-long robotic arm from MDA Space, which will help astronauts grab resources. The arm can also do it with zero human interaction \u201cso it can accomplish a lot of science,\u201d Cyrus said. Named SKYMAKER, the robotic arm<\/a> was in Houston for additional testing.\u00a0<\/p>\n The vehicle is pretty large. It looks like it ate two or three Jeep Wranglers. Cyrus declined to say how much it weighed but they\u2019re trying to keep it as light as possible. When it heads to the moon, it\u2019ll ship nearly as is.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t fold at all,\u201d Cyrus said. \u201cThe suspension is slightly compressed but that\u2019s it. \u2026 Honestly, I\u2019m just excited to be in the 2020s and having transportation that can fit something like this is awesome. \u2026 Yes, a SpaceX starship fits this.\u201d<\/p>\n And if NASA picks the Eagle, the rover is scheduled to be on the moon in 2029.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The latest Eagle LTV prototype, nicknamed Falcon, is being tested in a remote area near Colorado City. Developers Lunar Outpost, based in Golden, is competing to be the lunar rover astronauts use on the moon for the Artemis missions to get humans back on the moon. It\u2019s seen in a practice field where the company added craters, berms and large rocks for the autonomous LTV to avoid or drive over. (Mike Sweeney, The Colorado Sun)<\/p>\n Commercializing outer space<\/p>\n The world has gotten used to commercial companies like SpaceX sending reusable rockets to space. Commercialization has been in the works for years. In 2020, the U.S. was part of the Artemis Accords<\/a>, essentially an outer space treaty with more than 50 countries committed to a \u201csafe, peaceful and prosperous future in space.\u201d<\/p>\n For Lunar Outpost, it\u2019s already been to the moon. Its MAPP rover mission, the first commercial rover on the moon, carried goodies, aka payloads, including Adidas soccer jerseys<\/a> for an Italian football club Juventus, Nokia\u2019s cellular network<\/a> in a box, and a laser-engraved key<\/a> to unlocking a cryptocurrency stash<\/a>.<\/p>\n More missions <\/a>are planned.\u00a0<\/p>\n For the LTV mission, NASA\u2019s paying for the service. It\u2019s not buying the vehicle. According to NASA, the contract has a \u201cmaximum potential value of $4.6 billion<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n If the Lunar Dawn team isn\u2019t picked, there\u2019s still a chance the Eagle will one day land on the moon. It just needs to find another customer.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are building this vehicle to exceed NASA standards,\u201d Moreno said. \u201cWe continue to own the vehicles and they buy missions from us. It\u2019s very intentional. It\u2019s a new business model for NASA. They want to collaborate with commercial space and to do that, we need to be commercially viable without NASA as well.\u201d<\/p>\n The interest in commercialization has also helped Colorado and aspiring space workers. Lunar Outpost officials estimate that about one-third of its local employees are from area schools like School of Mines.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a big deal for the company. It\u2019s a big deal for Mines. It\u2019s a big deal for Colorado because Colorado has become the hub of all of these companies that are looking to have access to the moon for commercial purposes,\u201d Abbud-Madrid said. \u201cAnd if the LTV is awarded (to Lunar Outpost), that opens up all sorts of possibilities to whoever wants to use this vehicle, and NASA may want to use it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Earlier this month, toymaker Lego began selling<\/a> its Technic Lunar Outpost Moon Rover Space Vehicle, which includes the MAPP rover. The Adidas Lunar Outpost<\/a> jersey collection appears to be sold out<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOther commercial customers have come out afterwards asking, hey, can we put this on the moon? Or can we do this with you? Everyone has a different angle they\u2019re interested in,\u201d Moreno said. \u201cNow that we have demonstrated this, not only are we going back to the moon, but we are back. So now what? Let\u2019s get creative.\u201d<\/p>\n Type of Story: News<\/p>\n Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.<\/p>\n \t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Colo_Sun_Lunar_Outpost_07-copy-1200x746.jpg\")
Forrest Meyen, CSO and co-founder of Lunar Outpost, a Golden-based company, is shown in this Aug. 19 2025 photo at the company\u2019s testing site testing site near Rye, Colo. Lunar Outpost is competing for a contract with NASA\u2019s Artemis mission to provide mobility solutions for moon exploration. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/CSM-Lunar-testbed-1-1200x676.jpeg\")
The Colorado School of Mines built a Lunar Surface Simulator to with geo-technically accurate regolith, similar to the ground cover on the moon. The facility can be used by NASA and private companies to test equipment that is being built for use on the moon. (Provided by Colorado School of Mines)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/PXL_20250818_191750848-1200x900.jpg\")
At the Lunar Outpost mission control facility in Arvada, employees monitor the lunar terrain vehicle that is driving around a test site in rural Southern Colorado more than 150 miles away. The LTV is autonomous but can also be manually controlled. The Golden space company is competing to get NASA\u2019s service contract to get a lunar rover to the moon to assist astronauts exploring the moon as part of NASA\u2019s Artemis mission. (Tamara Chuang, The Colorado Sun)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Colo_Sun_Lunar_Outpost_06-copy-1200x881.jpg\")
Justin Cyrus, CEO and co-founder of Lunar Outpost, cofounded Lunar Outpost with his older brother, Julian, and AJ Gemer and Forest Meyen. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Colo_Sun_Lunar_Outpost_09-copy-1200x736.jpg\")
Lunar Outpost\u2019s lunar vehicle is put through the paces at the company\u2019s testing site testing site near Rye, Colo. Aug. 19, 2025. The on-site metal \u201ctest site\u201d sign was made by Bill Mansfield, own of the Greenhorn Valley Ace Hardware in Colorado City. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Colo_Sun_Lunar_Outpost_10-copy-1200x750.jpg\")
Lunar Outpost will employ a wheel designed by Goodyear for its Lunar Terrain Vehicle which the company hopes will be selected for NASA\u2019s Artemis missions. The mesh wiring of the wheel will help the Golden-based company LTV navigate the moon\u2019s regolith and 1\/6 gravity. (Mike Sweeney, Special to The Colorado Sun)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Lunar-Outpost-rack-1200x900.jpg\")
Justin Cyrus, Lunar Outpost CEO, explains the quick-access tool area on the company\u2019s lunar terrain vehicle. It was inspired by their own off-road adventures using MOLLE panels. (Tamara Chuang, The Colorado Sun)<\/p>\n![\"Moon](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/MappV2Edit11-1200x802.png\")
The MAPP rover from Lunar Outpost in Golden became the first commercial rover on the moon in March 2025. But it wasn\u2019t able to leave the lander, which had landed sideways in a crater on the South Pole. It contained products from Adidas, Lego, Nokia and other customers. (Provided by Lunar Outpost)<\/p>\n