Lunar rovers are typically four-wheeled electric vehicles, but a new prototype shows how a two-wheeled electric motorcycle may have serious advantages on the moon.
NASA is currently in search of the next lunar rover. German motorcycle design company Hookie thinks they might have it.
And with half the wheels, it sure saves a lot of weight compared to a moon buggy.
The Dresden-based designers built the first prototype of the Tardigrade, a name that they say draws inspiration from the ultra-survivalist microorganisms.
In addition to cutting down on weight, the space-conscious electric motorcycle would significantly reduce the size requirement of any lunar lander carrying it to the moon’s surface – or allow more rover motorcycles in the same space as a four-wheeler.
As Hookie cofounder Nico Müller explained to Interesting Engineering:
“A moon buggy requires almost the same space as 3-4 Tardigrades. The weight is much less than
