The Car Collection of the Prince of Monaco has just unveiled its latest summer highlight: a sleek display of four space-rover prototypes from Monaco’s Venturi Space and its American affiliate Venturi Astrolab. The exhibit marks an extraordinary fusion of automotive elegance and planetary exploration.
Rovers for the Moon and Mars
The exhibition features four cutting-edge rovers: FLEX Rover (Lunar) selected by NASA in April 2024 as a finalist for the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) to support future Artemis missions. A commercial version of FLEX is intended for launch to the Moon’s South Pole as early as mid-2026 via a SpaceX Starship mission. It’s piloted from Earth and integrates hyper-deformable wheels, developed in Switzerland, and high-performance batteries built in Monaco.
Next to see is FLEX Rover (Martian), a versatile Mars exploration concept developed across Monaco, Zürich, and Toulouse. Designed for adaptability, this version targets future commercial and scientific missions on the Red Planet. Mind blowing to think we are already shifting space exploration’s focus from beyond the moon to Mars.
And yet there’s still plenty of activity on the moon. Take the FLIP Rover which is scheduled for delivery to the Moon as early as this year on Astrobotic’s Griffin lander. FLIP showcases Venturi’s lighter-class exploration system. It shares core technologies, Monaco-made batteries and Swiss wheels, with FLEX.
Europe is featuring more and more itself in space exploration. MONA LUNA Rover is led from Venturi’s Toulouse base and developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the French Space Agency (CNES). This concept aims to deliver a European lunar rover by 2030 for future polar missions.
“Space is a new frontier, and MONA LUNA is how we’re crossing into it,” said Gildo Pastor, President of Venturi Space, at the Paris Air Show just a month ago. “I’m still an explorer, first and foremost,” he added, framing the project as an extension of Monaco’s tradition of bold innovation.
Together, these four vehicles embody Venturi’s ambition to evolve from luxury electric vehicles into pioneers of extraterrestrial mobility.
Franck Baldet, Venturi’s Technical Director was on hand and HelloMonaco took the opportunity to speak with him about the effort to get to the pinnacle of space exploration ventures by being short-listed by NASA: “It’s been four years of work. Only three candidates remain. The final choice comes in November… With NASA, we’re not just talking theory. We’re showing how far ahead our technology really is.”
Technical spotlights of the international collaboration behind the rovers were revealed in the interview: Monaco-developed batteries, Swiss-made deformable wheels, and French-built battery management systems.
Atmosphere & Highlights
Set in the dramatic setting of the Prince’s Collection, the event blended heritage and futurism. Media, dignitaries, and the public were captivated by the rovers’ sleek design and mission-readiness. Prince Albert has been well-known to emphasize Monaco’s transition from space observer to active contributor. To be expected Gildo Pastor’s vision was also expressed passionately by Venturi representatives.
In his interview with HelloMonaco, Franck Baldet, Venturi’s Technical Director enthused: “The Apollo missions inspired a generation. Now, we’re bringing that spirit into electric mobility, to the Moon. Our lunar rover is 100% electric, 100% European, and designed to survive the most hostile terrain imaginable.”
“In Monaco, we don’t have the right to break down. Our vehicles have to perform, no matter the conditions”, he added.
What’s Next for this Expo?
The exhibition is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through September 2, 2025, at the Car Collection (54 route de la Piscine, Port Hercule). Visitors can explore the technologies behind the rovers that may soon traverse the Moon and Mars.
Venturi Space continues full speed ahead: with lunar delivery missions in 2025–2027 and close collaboration with ESA and CNES to help define Europe’s next-generation lunar mobility before 2030.
Monaco’s newest venture seamlessly blends its tradition of automotive refinement with its bold leap into space. Royalty, engineers, and diplomats have all underscored a shared ambition in this past year : for our small principality to play a meaningful role in humanity’s next great adventure, one rover wheel at a time.
For more info:
+377 92 05 28 56
54 route de la Piscine, Port Hercule
Open every day, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
