The Detroit Regional Partnership and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. are working with NASA to help the space agency identify potential supplier partners for a new lunar rover vehicle for the Artemis Program whose goal is to return people to the moon by 2024.
The local organizations are collaborating with the Johnson Space Center and the Greater Houston Partnership to raise awareness about NASA’s Request for Information (RFI) among Detroit and Michigan business leaders. The RFI presents an opportunity to partner with the Houston community, which is known for its leadership in the energy and aerospace industries.
“The Detroit region stands ready to support NASA and the Johnson Space Center with their mission that will greatly benefit mankind and the Detroit economy,” says Barry I. Matherly, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Partnership. “Detroit put the world on wheels and as a leader in the automotive industry for over 100 years, we want to collaborate for the next giant leap to drive the ultimate SUV on the Moon.”
NASA says it recognizes the value that the Detroit automotive ecosystem could bring to the Artemis Program. NASA and Detroit-based companies partnered to develop and manufacture key technology that allowed the United States to with the race to the moon. Area engineers also played a role in the development of the original Apollo lunar rover in the early 1970s.
For more information on the NASA RFI, please contact Justin Robinson at the Detroit Regional Partnership at Justin.Robinson@detroitregionalpartnership.com
