Venturi Brings the Moon Within Reach of Rover

The return to the Moon has never been so near and concrete, and Europe is counting on Venturi to transport men to our satellite.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed a contract with Venturi Space for a risk reduction study focusing on three essential technologies intended for future lunar rovers. Launched on January 1, 2026, this collaboration aims to consolidate innovative solutions tailored to the challenges of exploration and logistics missions on the Moon.

The project focuses on three key areas: mobility, power supply, and thermal regulation. These technologies must enable rovers to move efficiently over soft and uneven terrain, withstand extreme temperature variations (up to about 400 °C between day and night on the Moon), and survive long lunar nights. Venturi Space is using its prototype rover MONA LUNA as a test platform to validate these advancements.

The Lunar Rover by Venturi

Among the innovations being tested are hyper-deformable wheels, a high-performance suspension system, high-performance batteries, and an egress mechanism (the rover’s descent from the lander). These components are designed to equip much heavier rovers, potentially weighing several tons, in line with the requirements of future crewed missions and cargo transport.

The test campaigns take place within the LUNA structure, a lunar analogue center developed jointly by ESA and DLR (Germany) in Cologne. This site faithfully reproduces lunar soil conditions, allowing for the demonstration of the operability of the technologies in a representative environment.

At the same time, the ESA is developing a representative model of the geometry of the European Argonaut lander to validate the mechanical interfaces and operational conditions during the rover’s deployment phase, a critical step between landing and the start of surface operations. Gildo Pastor, president of Venturi Space, emphasizes that this project embodies the pioneering spirit of the company: “Identify a need, imagine a new response, and confront it with reality.”

Dr. Antonio Delfino, director of space affairs at Venturi Space, highlights the close collaboration with the ESA to mature solutions aligned with the European lunar roadmap, particularly regarding the challenge of egress.

Daniel Neuenschwander, director of human and robotic exploration at ESA, notes that these public-private partnerships enhance European agility in a rapidly accelerating space sector.

This study marks a concrete step towards the next generation of European rovers, contributing to Europe’s strategic autonomy in lunar exploration.

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