While it moves ahead with creation of an EV manufacturing plant in Oklahoma City and a battery plant in Pryor, EV maker Canoo recently announced the delivery on time of three Crew Transportation Vehicles or CTVs to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The vehicles were contracted to transport the astronauts to the launch pad for the Artemis lunar missions. The CTVs are engineered to carry fully suited astronauts, flight support crew, and equipment to the launch pad. The vehicles have an exclusive interior and exterior design that will provide astronaut and crew comfort and safety while on the nine-mile journey to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center. Canoo said it expects to reveal images of the exterior and interior of the CTV later this year.
“We are thrilled to be a part of the Artemis missions and to deliver NASA`s first zero-emission built for mission crew transportation vehicles,” says Tony Aquila, Chairman and CEO, Canoo. “It`s a very proud day for Canoo and all of our partners who worked so hard to ensure we perform our part to transport the astronauts for the first nine miles of every launch.”
The Artemis II is the first crewed mission that is part of NASA’s plan to establish a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration. The 10-day flight will test NASA’s foundational human deep space exploration capabilities, the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, for the first time with astronauts.
Aquila says the company looks forward to supporting NASA in being the transport vehicle for the Artemis Lunar Missions.
Canoo, which faced financial troubles earlier in the year, only recently improved trading of its shares, moving from the 40-cent range to 70 cents per share. It closed at 70 cents with a slight gain in Tuesday’s trading.
The company said the technology will “set the stage for standardization of energy dense lithium batteries for the U.S. Navy.”
The announcement comes after the DOD’s Defense Innovation Unit, or DIU, began testing Canoo’s battery technology in February 2023, Canoo (Nasdaq: GOEV) said in a news release.
Canoo’s modular, proprietary battery system offers performance features that support military applications and configurations, the company said, adding that the expanded partnership furthers DIU’s Jumpstart for Advanced Battery Standardization program.
Canoo has a battery module manufacturing facility in Pryor, Oklahoma, that is in development. In phase one, the new facility will create over 200 advanced manufacturing jobs. The company says it’s the first technology firm to produce battery modules and packs using hydro and wind power sources from the Grand River Dam Authority in Oklahoma.
Source: Canoo releases