NASA has chosen Lunar Outpost's MAPP rover to accompany the Artemis IV astronauts to the Moon, marking the first time humans will work alongside a robot on another celestial body. The rover will investigate lunar dust and plasma to support safe exploration. This step builds on lessons from the Apollo missions about the hazards of moon dust.
The Artemis program continues to advance plans for sustained human presence on the Moon. Following Artemis II, a 2026 crewed flyby mission, Artemis III aims for the first landing since 1972 in 2028 at the lunar south pole. Artemis IV, the program's second landing, will deploy the Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP), a solar-powered, four-wheeled rover from Colorado-based Lunar Outpost.
MAPP will assist in the DUSTER investigation, led by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Equipped with the Electrostatic Dust Analyzer (EDA), it will measure dust particle charge, velocity, size, and flux lifted from the surface. The RElaxation SOunder and differentiaL VoltagE (RESOLVE) instrument will assess electron density in the plasma above the surface. Collaborators from the University of Central Florida and University of California, Berkeley, will analyze data on dust from lander liftoffs and plasma conditions.
Lunar dust poses significant challenges: it clings to equipment and suits, abrades surfaces, blocks solar panels, and risks overheating radiators or astronaut health through inhalation. As NASA Associate Administrator for Science Nicky Fox stated, “The Apollo era taught us that the further humanity is from Earth, the more dependent we are on science to protect and sustain human life on other planets.” Lunar Outpost CEO Justin Cyrus added, “The Apollo missions showed us the challenges posed by dust on the lunar surface, and NASA’s Artemis plans to find solutions as a critical step to building a sustainable human presence in space.”
This MAPP will be Lunar Outpost's third lunar rover if plans proceed. An earlier version arrived in March 2025 but remained stationary after its lander tipped over, still gathering data. Another is slated for 2026 via Intuitive Machines.