The Moon Exploration Vehicle will use treads to traverse the lunar surface, covering relatively rocky ground without being burdened by wheels getting trapped between obstacles. Although not swift, the MEV will be able to get where it needs to go steadily and dependably. Its compact build should be efficient in terms of energy.

The lack of sunlight in Aiken Basin makes solar panels on the MEV not a viable source of power. As the only feasible sources of energy on the moon would come from batteries of limited capacity and solar power that is non-existent in the basin, solar panels will have to be set up outside of Aiken Basin, connected through sturdy cables to a charging station that will be dropped into the crater in a place reachable by the MEV. By transmissions between the robot and charging station, the robot will be able to locate and return to the charging station to replenish its depleted batteries and resume its task.

Like the MER, the MEV will be autonomous, running with a pre-designed navigational program that will seek to avoid obstructions in Aiken Basin. If anything should happen that would require its programming to be changed or a direct task to be issued, an orbiter around the moon will be able to transmit any new or revised programs from Earth to the MEV. This opens up the possibility of remote control from Earth, if need be. Likewise, any data that has been collected by the rover will be transferred to Earth via the orbiter.

Making use of tools similar to that of NASA's MER, the MEV will seek to identify various substances by use of onboard spectrometers and various probes that will bore through the moon in hopes of finding water ice, as it is highly unlikely that liquid water would exist in Aiken Basin. Sampling arms will be able to sift through debris caused by the probing, informing observers of the types of substances that are present on the moon. Several cameras will hopefully be able to give observers a picture of the lunar terrain, perhaps allowing things to be seen that the robot would have otherwise missed.