If you are a fan of space exploration, you probably know that NASA is planning to send humans back to the Moon by 2024 under the Artemis program. Did you know that a startup company called Canoo is playing a key role in this historic endeavor?

Canoo is a high-tech advanced mobility company that specializes in electric vehicles with innovative design and technology. The company has developed a modular electric platform that can be customized for different applications and markets. One of these applications is the Crew Transportation Vehicle (CTV), which Canoo has been contracted by NASA to provide for the Artemis missions.

The CTVs are based on Canoo’s LV model, which is a future-forward all-electric vehicle that maximizes cabin space, utility, and productivity on a compact footprint. The CTVs will transport the astronauts, flight support crew, and equipment to the launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The vehicles will have an exclusive interior and exterior design that will ensure astronaut and crew comfort and safety while on the nine-mile journey to the launch pad.

Canoo delivered three CTVs to NASA on time in July 2023 and expects to reveal images of the vehicles later this year. The CTVs will be used for the first crewed mission of the Artemis program, Artemis II, which is scheduled for 2024. Artemis II will be a 10-day flight that will test NASA’s foundational human deep space exploration capabilities, the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, for the first time with astronauts.

Canoo’s CEO Tony Aquila said that the company is honored to be a part of the Artemis missions and to deliver NASA’s first zero-emission built-for-mission crew transportation vehicles. He also said that Canoo’s mission is to bring EVs to everyone and that the company’s vehicles are engineered from the inside out, vertically integrating drive-by-wire function in its modular multi-purpose platform which liberates valuable interior space for passengers and cargo.

Canoo is not only working with NASA but also with other government agencies and partners to provide EV solutions for various needs. The company has filed more than 160 patents spanning every major component of its vehicles and has teams in California, Texas, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

Canoo is one of the examples of how private companies are collaborating with NASA and other government entities to advance space exploration and innovation. By leveraging their expertise and creativity, these companies are helping to make history and shape the future of humanity. For more about Canoo and its products, go here.