The moon hasn’t been visited by humans in decades. The Apollo missions sent 12 people to the moon, who explored dozens of miles on rudimentary ‘moon buggies’. Hundreds of pounds of moon rocks were returned to earth, and the missions captivated the imagination of the entire planet.
That may be about to change, with the advent of new rocket technology, and a renewed interest in our celestial body.
Indeed, there is a lunar rover on the moon as we speak, exploring the famed dark side.
Motorcycle builder Hookie wants to get in on the action, utilizing their design and engineering skills to create one seriously badass moon motorcycle.
Named the Tardigrade, after the indestructible micro-animals that survive any condition thrown at them.
We love the look of the concept bike, with the low-slung proportions, huge tires, and minimal wire cage design. The gold elements add an amazing retro-futuristic look, paying homage to the gold-foil designs of NASA’s early years, while bringing high-tech engineering to the forefront.
Built with ultra-light materials, the bike can travel over 110km on single charge, yet weighs less than 300 pounds.
“The Tardigrade Motorcycle is build to explore the moon’s surface and beyond. The passenger can carry different types of equipment and with a speed limit of 15km/h (9 mph) it has a battery range for almost 110km. A combination of ultra lightweight materials and changeable airless tire pieces allows the Space-Crew to tackle any obstacle on its mission. It was a vision with hurdles. But we proofed it.”
This ambitious design doesn’t have direct ties to a NASA moon mission, but is more of a ‘moonshot’ for Hookie, who explored the capabilities of an electric motorcycle, and created a stunning prototype.
Whether the design or technology of the Tardigrade gets adopted by future space missions remains to be seen. But the concept is on display at the world famous Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, inspiring future generations to dream big.
