Listen Now: The Next Space Race

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General Motors is working on its newest car, for the moon. I’m Brian Banmiller on Business.

The company announced it is teaming up with Lockheed Martin to produce the ultimate off-road, self-driving electric vehicle. One, specifically designed for traveling on the surface of the moon. The companies said their design will be light and rugged and able to travel faster and father than lunar rovers nasa’s astronauts have used in the past. Those rovers, alsy designed by g-m, ventured no more than four and a half miles from their landers. Last year NASA put out a call to the industry for ideas on lunar rovers and G-M and Lockheed Martin are banking on theirs. They say they will be able to carry two astronauts at a time and by operating remotely can keep astronauts away from dangerous areas such as craters at the moon’s south pole. Plus, the crew can be outside and focused on collecting things such as rocks and water while the rover follows along. So far NASA has not awarded any company a contract but it looks like the next space race is underway. Brian Banmiller, CBS News.

About Brian

CBS News Radio national business journalist Brian Banmiller has spent more than 40 years in the news industry, covering business, politics and the economy on television, radio and in print. Currently, his “Banmiller on Business” reports are delivered to an audience of millions nationwide.