It would be attention-getting enough to be “a signature item for return to the moon” — the kind of object that in itself can build excitement about NASA’s new lunar program.
That is a pretty big load for any vehicle, no matter how spiffy. But this one may be able to carry the weight: basically, it is a long flatbed with six sets of double tires, each set independently steered.
The astronaut driver would snap himself or herself into the turret — it’s designed to accommodate a space suit — with a rigid seatback inspired by those in Nascar. “We want light, but we want strong,” Mr. Junkin said.
This feels a little like being on the end of a diving board just as somebody releases it from its stand, but I have my right arm hooked over a railing, so I get only a jolt that will make me more aware of my shoulder’s existence for a day or two. Once in the crater, he crabs up the side again, gravel spitting away as the wheels steadily move us upward.
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