Astrolab’s upcoming rover will run the first LLMs on the moon

Large language models are set to go lunar. A computer capable of running AI software is one of the payloads aboard Astrolab’s FLIP lunar rover, which is slated to head to Earth’s celestial companion as early as November 2026.

The 480-kilogram FLIP rover, short for “FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform,” is the first in a series of vehicles NASA has contracted from Astrolab, including future buggies that will move Artemis astronauts across the moon’s surface. Fitted with deformable wheels engineered for…