Two space companies are teaming up to develop a lunar mining vehicle as interest in Moon resources grows. Astrolab and Interlune announced plans for a mobile harvester that will extract materials from lunar soil, building on their existing partnership. The companies previously collaborated on FLIP, a smaller prototype rover launching later this year.

FLIP, about the size of a go-kart, will carry a multispectral camera to measure helium-3 concentrations in Moon regolith. The mission launches on Astrobotic's Griffin lander after NASA's VIPER rover was reassigned. This test flight will help both companies validate their technology before developing larger lunar vehicles.

The partnership centers on FLEX, a minivan-sized rover with a horseshoe-shaped chassis that can carry 3 cubic meters of payload. This versatile platform will serve as a mobile base for Interlune's excavating equipment, allowing the companies to test lunar mining operations in real conditions.