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Lunar Voyage 1: A Milestone for Mankind

  • justin54534
  • Jul 26
  • 3 min read

February 2025, Lunar Outpost’s Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover will be our first wheels on the Moon. The MAPP rover will serve as the centerpiece for Lunar Voyage 1 (LV1) and is purpose-built for multiplanetary exploration and prospecting. It will traverse rugged lunar terrain while carrying historic payloads, collecting space resources, and transmitting crucial data. Using Lunar Outpost’s Stargate Ground System Software, our team will monitor and operate MAPP from our Mission Control in Colorado.

This mission to the Moon is remarkable for many reasons and serves as a critical steppingstone for Lunar Outpost, as we build the New Space economy and lay the groundwork for a sustainable human presence in space.  


LV1 Accomplishments: 

  1. First Rover at the Lunar South Pole 

Our MAPP rover will be the first-ever rover to reach the Moon’s South Pole. Launching aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and landing via Intuitive Machine’s Nova-C lunar lander, MAPP will travel 380,000 km to its destination: Mons Mouton. The lunar South Pole is considered one of the coldest regions in our solar system due to its permanently shadowed regions, making it a prime location for potential water ice deposits. NASA’s upcoming Artemis Campaign aims to establish a sustainable outpost for Astronauts here, as it will unlock the Moon’s potential as a platform for deeper space missions.  

On this mission, our MAPP rover will prospect for critical volatiles and map the lunar surface, providing essential data to support the planning of future missions.  


  1. First Commercial Rover on Another Planetary Body  

Lunar Outpost’s MAPP rover will be the first-ever commercial rover to explore another planetary body. This mission will demonstrate that the New Space economy is here and open for business. Our MAPP rover will carry groundbreaking payloads from our commercial, governmental, and science partners, including:  

  • Nokia: Antennas and a Nokia device module, designed to establish the first cellular network on another planetary body. 

  • MIT: Three payloads from MIT, including a time-of-flight camera, AstroAnt (a miniature autonomous robot that measures temperatures), and HUMANS (a silicon wafer containing a digital record of people’s thoughts on space exploration). 

  • NASA: A lunar regolith collection mechanism for the NASA Space Resources Contract. This will be the first-ever sale of space resources. 

  • Juventus Football Club: A payload from Juventus, making them the first-ever football club to reach the Moon. The Juventus x Adidas x Lunar Outpost capsule collection was released to celebrate this milestone.  

  • LunarCrush Nakamoto_1 Bitcoin Interplanetary Treasure Chest: A metal key which unlocks a stash of crypto and NFTs. To retrieve the key, one must travel to the Moon to collect it. 


  1. First Commercial Sale of Space Resources in Human History 

In 2020, Lunar Outpost became the first company to receive payment for space resources when I accepted a check from NASA administrator Bill Nelson. This contract establishes the legal and procedural framework for all future transactions involving space resources—setting the precedent for the private sector to extract and own materials from other planetary bodies. This milestone marks the beginning of a new era for commercial opportunities beyond Earth. Space resources are valuable commodities as they can support a sustainable human presence in space, enable new clean energy solutions, and reduce the need to mine certain minerals on Earth.


  1. First Cellular Network on Another Planetary Body 

Nokia’s Lunar Surface Communication System (LSCS), powered by the same 4G/LTE technology widely used on Earth, will become the first ever cellular network established on another planetary body and our MAPP rover will play a crucial role. As MAPP traverses the lunar surface during its multi-day expedition, it will collect critical data and imagery. Using its onboard antennas and integrated Nokia device module, MAPP will relay this information to the Nova-C lander and Micro-Nova Hopper, demonstrating the first lunar surface communications network. 


  1. First American Robotic Rover on the Lunar Surface  

From Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the Moon in 1969 to SpaceX’s first partially reusable rocket launched in 2010, the American space industry has a proud legacy of historic “firsts.” At Lunar Outpost, my team and I are committed to building on that legacy by delivering the first American robotic rover to the Moon. Lunar Outpost is proud to lead this new era of American innovation—delivering first-of-their-kind mobility solutions for the Moon, Mars, and beyond.  


The Next Steps 

MAPP is slated to launch on February 26, 2025. After MAPP arrives on the lunar surface, we will carry out our mission operations, achieving historic firsts in space exploration and commercialization.  

The insights gained from our explorer-class missions will directly shape the development of our Lunar Terrain Vehicle, designed by the Lunar Outpost-led Lunar Dawn team to support NASA’s Artemis Astronauts in exploring the Moon. Our space truck will be the cornerstone of sustained lunar operations, enabling everything from large-scale infrastructure development to dependable mobility for both crewed and uncrewed missions.  


Learn More:  

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