Venturi

Three wheels on a slope? Challenge accepted ✅
Thanks to its four wheel‑drive and four‑wheel steering system, along with passive‑damping suspension, MONA LUNA climbed and descended slopes of up to 33 degrees, exceeding initial expectations !

See MONA LUNA in action: https://swll.to/MonaLunaInAction

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Subject: Wishing you a bright 2026!

#FromMonacoToTheMoon #HappyNewYear2026

Why do MONA LUNA’s wheels have a smooth tread?

“It is quite simply about achieving the largest possible contact surface. It is the same reason why a snow hiker chooses to wear snowshoes rather than crampons.”
— Jean-François Clervoy, Astronaut and Venturi Space Ambassador

A key outcome: the vehicle shows remarkable adaptability to loose soil, slopes, and obstacles. 🚀

🔗 The full announcement: swll.to/MONA-LUNA-Fi...

Five months after being unveiled at the Paris Air Show, the European lunar rover MONA LUNA has successfully completed a test campaign at the European Space Agency’s (ESA) LUNA centre in Cologne, Germany.

Thanks to the @esa.int and the @cnes.fr for their support!

From Apollo 17’s Lunar Rover Vehicle (LTV) to tomorrow’s Venturi Space rovers, we’re continuing humanity’s journey across the Moon. 53 years of exploration, still rolling!

More info: https://swll.to/rovers

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#Apollo17 #MoonMission #LunarRover #NASA #Space

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Astronaut Jean-François Clervoy shares this light-hearted story in honour of Charles Duke’s birthday, reminding us of the joy and curiosity behind exploration.

We also warmly wish Charles M. Duke Jr. a very happy birthday!

After John Young’s famous “Lunar Grand Prix” during Apollo 16, Charles Duke was eager to try his own “Moon Olympics”—a playful test of movement in lunar gravity.

📷 Portrait - Astronaut Charles M. Duke, Jr.
📷Astronaut Charles Duke photographed collecting lunar samples at Station

Where does space begin?
At the Kármán line.

The FAI defines it at 100 km above sea level, while NASA & the US Air Force use 80 km.

So, to truly claim you’ve been to space, you need to cross 100 km… plus 1 metre! Next time you look up at the sky, remember: space is only 100 km away. 🚀

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The risk to life on Earth from asteroid impacts is extremely low — especially compared to, on a smaller scale, the risk to astronauts from micrometeoroid impacts on their spacecraft. That’s why spacecraft are protected by dedicated micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) shields.

Others, famous among geologists but not identifiable by astronauts, include:
☄ Chicxulub (Mexico) – Linked to the dinosaur extinction, 66 million years old, 170 km wide
☄ Rochechouart-Chassenon (France) – About 200 million years old, approx. 25 km wide

Famous examples photographed by astronauts include:
☄ Manicouagan (Canada) – “The Eye of Quebec,” the most visible, 214 million years old, 100 km wide
☄ Vredefort (South Africa) – The oldest, 2.023 billion years old, 300 km wide

He described seeing the “stories” of Earth written across its landscapes. Among the most striking are astroblemes — the remnants of ancient meteorite impacts.

Astroblemes: Earth’s Celestial Scars

During his three missions aboard the space shuttles Atlantis and Discovery, French astronaut and Venturi Space ambassador Jean-François Clervoy marvelled at the wonders of our planet.

“𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭; 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.” - Sacha Lakic, designer

The rovers from left to right | FLIP · FLEX · MONA LUNA · MARS

20 July: International Moon Day
Who better to speak about our beautiful Moon… than someone who drove on it? 🌔

We are grateful to the Commander of the Apollo 15 mission, General David Scott, for sharing this with us.

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Thank you! ✨

Discover MONA LUNA, our European lunar rover, designed to support the ambitions of the @esa.int and the French @cnes.fr 🌔

🔗 The full announcement: swll.to/MONA-LUNA

Venturi Space unveils MONA LUNA, its 100% European-built lunar rover. Designed to support the ambitions of the @esa.int and the French @cnes.fr, the vehicle will be built at Venturi Space France's facility in Toulouse. The ultimate aim is to provide Europe with a lunar-capable rover by 2030.

What you’re seeing in this image is really happening no earlier than December 2025!

Our critical technologies – the hyper-deformable wheels and high-performance batteries – will be tested on the FLIP rover.
We are proud to share this adventure as a strategic partner with Venturi Astrolab, Inc. 🚀