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HomeNewsNISSAN TEAMING WITH SNOWMOBILE OEM FOR NASA'S NEXT LUNAR VEHICLE

NISSAN TEAMING WITH SNOWMOBILE OEM FOR NASA’S NEXT LUNAR VEHICLE

I love stumbling across these types of articles…makes me daydream a bit. Enjoy this reprint from NewsWeek.com written by Jake Lingeman and originally posted on 4/7/22.

The story below was originally posted on Newsweek.com on 4/7/22.

Nissan won’t let General Motors be the only automaker in space. On Thursday at the 37th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, veteran space company Teledyne Brown Engineering said that it will partner with Nissan, Sierra Space and others to create the next crewed Lunar Terrain Vehicle.

“Teledyne Brown Engineering built the first lunar rover prototype for Dr. Wernher von Braun in the 1960s and we have subsequently supported almost every major U.S. human rated space mission,” stated Reggie Spivey, vice president of the company’s Space Systems Group in a press release.

“We are proud to continue our extensive presence in space and are excited at the possibility of transporting the first woman and person of color on the surface of the moon.”

Teledyne has more than 70 years of experience in the space industry. It recently designed, built, and delivered the first of three Launch Vehicle Stage Adapters of NASA’s Artemis Vehicle. The initial launch is scheduled for early this summer. Teledyne is considered a Prime Contractor for NASA and has sent payloads to and from the International Space Station in the past.

Nissan North America will bring its expertise to the equation with decades of design and innovation, including experience in space. It will also infuse its autonomous driving knowledge and intelligent vehicle systems into the rover. And since there’s no air on the moon, it will be an electric vehicle.

“Nissan was the obvious choice for our team due to its previous work with NASA on autonomous mobility at AMES Research Center, vast capacity and experience with electric vehicles,” Spivey told Newsweek. “It’s passion for space exploration is unmatched and evident in our discussions and preliminary designs.”

The automaker gets to expand its engineering capability, with the goal of bringing some of that tech to its land vehicles. “Participation in this project allows for the extension of our industry’s technology and design capabilities to space technology, and vice versa,” said Maarten Sierhuis, Alliance Global Director of Nissan’s Alliance Innovation Laboratory in Silicon Valley, California in a press release.

“With this partnership, we will explore possibilities of autonomy and teleoperations, power management systems, vehicle connectivity, and human-machine interface to help shape the future of intelligent lunar rovers. We then will translate these learnings from the LTV operating on the lunar surface back to earth.”

Sierra Space, which has been in the industry for more than 30 years, will produce the flight software, navigation, communications, pointing and timing for the lunar vehicle. The company is currently finishing up its Dream Chaser, the only winged commercial spaceplane. That craft will start cargo supply and return missions for NASA next year.

A less surprising partner is Textron Specialized Vehicles. That company builds Arctic Cat snowmobiles, ATVs and E-Z-GO golf cars, among other things (Aviation). The company will bring its creative chassis design, vehicle dynamics and suspension and handling expertise to the team.

To read the rest of the article, click HERE or the blue link above.

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40 COMMENTS

  1. “That company builds Arctic Cat snowmobiles, ATVs and E-Z-GO golf cars, among other things (Aviation). The company will bring its creative chassis design, vehicle dynamics and suspension and handling expertise to the team.”
    Yes. GOLF CARTS require the LEADING EDGE of chassis design, vehicle dynamics, suspension, and handling. Yes. Yes. Yes.

  2. To infinity and beyond!
    In all seriousness, I can see how this project could help Cat leapfrog the competition in advanced technologies like EV.

  3. Very interesting read until they had to say, “excited at the possibility of transporting the first woman and person of color on the surface of the moon”. If this person meets the requirements and is the most qualified, then absolutely. Just sad that statement had to be brought into this. Why? Wrecked the whole article for me. Has to be gender and color. Leave this crap out of it. I see Dave’s post about the VP got removed. Can’t handle the truth, I guess. The “no space suit” comment may have not been appropriate though, but I think he was joking. Maybe Elon Musk needs to purchase this too.

    Now, let’s get back to how good this can be for Cat and what’s in the future. Looking forward to what comes out of this. Thanks for the info.

  4. “Very interesting read until they had to say, “excited at the possibility of transporting the first woman and person of color on the surface of the moon”. If this person meets the requirements and is the most qualified, then absolutely. Just sad that statement had to be brought into this. Why? Wrecked the whole article for me. Has to be gender and color. Leave this crap out of it.”
    Abso-f–king-lutely. So tired of this sh!t. Gotta ruin everything. From dudes competing in the women’s sports, to promoting someone, or CHOOSING A VICE PESIDENT of a company DUE ONLY TO GENDER AND COLOR. I thought racism was a BAD THING, yet they ENCOURAGE IT.

    “I see Dave’s post about the VP got removed. Can’t handle the truth, I guess.”
    Damn right. That’s f–king fine though. At least some people saw it. I’ll post it on twitter, now that a RIGHT MINDED INDIVIDUAL owns it.

    “The “no space suit” comment may have not been appropriate though, but I think he was joking.”
    No joke. If kathy griffin can post a picture of her, holding the CURRENT PRESIDENT’S AT THE TIME DECAPITATED HEAD, I can say what I F–KING SAID. Notice how no FBI, CIA, special service etc. came to HER HOUSE? But say something bad about the antichrist or braindead, and they’ll haul you away.

    “Maybe Elon Musk needs to purchase this too.”
    And Cat from the bloodsuckers. Sh!t. Even if those leeches wanted $500 million, that’s like 50 bucks to him!

    “Im about freedom of speech, but there’s no need for any inappropriate comments to be posted here in order to have a good conversation about Powersports. Take that garbage elsewhere.”
    SORRY. I feel that there’s no need for the PREFERENCIAL TREATMENT of one person over another just because of COLOR or GENDER posted in that story, but there it was.

    • Now part of life Karen. You had a choice to ignore it, but it was to much for you. Not surprising as you would complain of to hot coffee and to cold ice cream. Just move on!

  5. Theres about 4 guys on this sight that need to find another forum to dew your key board ball bagging.
    Your wrecking this sight for the people that enjoy the information that Kale provides us.
    Please buy another brand sled and go elswhere and dew your belly aching.
    Theres not an article that Kale puts on here that you dont ball bag to death.
    Sorry for the venting

  6. As of May 1, 75 total 2023 arctic cat snowmobile models, 48 of them being M are still available, rest are sold out.

  7. Website is not updated. There was like 4 models left after the 1st week . Everything sold out. In the middle of last week! Try ordering a M !

    • as of 11:45 EST on 5/1/2022 these sleds are available to order:
      M 8000 Hardcore Alpha One
      154″/2.6″ Blue/Orange
      154″/2.6″ Green/Orange
      154″/3.0″ Blue/Orange
      154″/3.0″ Green/Orange
      155″/3.0″ Blue/Orange
      165″/3.0″ Green/Orange
      M 8000 Mountain Cat Alpha One
      154″/2.6″ Blue/Orange
      154″/2.6″ Green/Orange
      154″/3.0″ Blue/Orange
      154″/3.0″ Green/Orange
      155″/3.0″ Blue/Orange
      165″/3.0″ Green/Orange
      M 8000 Mountain Cat Alpha One with ATAC
      154″/2.6″ Blue/Orange
      154″/2.6″ Green/Orange
      154″/3.0″ Blue/Orange
      154″/3.0″ Green/Orange
      155″/3.0″ Blue/Orange
      165″/3.0″ Green/Orange

      If you want to get picky, the M8 alpha, and M8 alpha with ATAC are all available with your choice of E. start, or recoil only. which would make it 30 or so models available .

  8. Thanks Krom!
    I was looking at Country Cat’s site is where I came up with 48, I’m sure not as updated as your figures.
    What ever happened to the 600 Turbo? Figured since sales are favored to the mountain segment, that would have been out by now.

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