LUVMI-M: A Commercial Lunar Rover Platform for Mobile Surface Exploration and Prospecting.

The increasing interest in lunar exploration by both institutional and commercial actors is driving the need for affordable and flexible surface mobility solutions. In this context, Space Applications Services is developing the LUVMI-M (Lunar Volatiles Mobile Instrumentation - Medium) rover, a lightweight commercial rover platform designed to support scientific investigations, technology demonstrations, and prospecting activities on the Moon. The first LUVMI-M mission is currently planned for Q4 2028 and will target operations in the lunar South Pole region.

The rover builds on nearly a decade of development within the LUVMI programme, which began in 2016 and has included several rover prototypes tested extensively in indoor and outdoor lunar analogue environments. LUVMI-M continues this heritage while introducing a modular architecture capable of accommodating a wider range of payloads. The platform provides mechanical, electrical, thermal, and data interfaces suitable for instruments such as spectrometers, imagers, environmental sensors, and regolith interaction tools. Up to 20 kg of payload mass can be distributed across multiple mounting locations, offering diverse payload fields of view and direct access to the lunar surface.

The baseline mission architecture foresees operations over one lunar day (approximately 10-14 Earth days), during which the rover is expected to traverse up to 5 km and visit up to 50 sites of scientific interest. By moving away from the immediate influence of the lander, the rover can enable cleaner measurements of the lunar exosphere and dust-plasma environment, which are of growing interest as lunar activity increases and the pristine environment becomes progressively altered by future missions. In polar landing scenarios, the rover’s design also allows for short excursions into permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), within thermal and energy constraints, offering opportunities to study volatile-rich environments.

The rover is designed to be compatible with multiple commercial lunar landers, allowing future missions to be flexible to different landing sites and exploration objectives. Recent mobility testing was conducted in ESA’s LUNA facility in Cologne and in Space Applications Services’ Moon Yard to test locomotion and navigation functions.

Beyond its technical capabilities, LUVMI-M intends to contribute to the emerging ecosystem of commercial lunar services. Through the aim of biennial rover missions and accessible payload opportunities, the LUVMI programme wants to lower the barriers for participation in lunar surface exploration and support a growing community of scientific and technological users.

This contribution presents the LUVMI-M rover concept, the Mission 1 architecture, and the current status of its technical development. It will also discuss the ways in which LUVMI-M can support participation by external teams.