The Latest Update on Astrobotic's Next Moon Mission...

Astrobotic

Griffin-1 Mission Update (Press Release)

Griffin-1 continues to gain momentum on the path to deliver Astrolab’s FLIP (FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform) rover, Astrobotic’s own CubeRover®, and several additional payloads to the Moon. Read on for updates on integration, payloads and software testing.

Propulsion Integration

Griffin-1’s propulsion architecture centers around four high-performance Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel (COPV) propellant tanks engineered to be both lightweight and structurally robust, reliably containing substantial propellant loads at extreme operating pressures. Once the four propellant tanks are installed, final integration activities will be completed, and Griffin-1 will undergo environmental acceptance testing to ensure that the lander will endure the challenging environments of launch, space and the lunar surface.

Avionics Ready for Launch

In-house designed avionics flight hardware has been assembled and accepted for flight. These systems form the backbone of Griffin’s on-board control and telemetry, clearing a critical path towards spacecraft integration and ongoing system electrical testing. Designing, building and testing our avionics systems in-house enables the team to accelerate the development cycle, allowing for low-cost, rapid iterations that reduce risks and enhance performance.

Tighter control of this process also enables the team to design core products that are more easily adapted to future mission requirements, decreasing the cost and schedule for the next missions to space.

In tandem with flight-equivalent avionics, Astrobotic has implemented a fully closed-loop simulation of the descent and landing sequence. This system uses our custom LunaRay software to generate real-time images and 3D point clouds (dense sets of spatial data points that represent the shape and features of the lunar surface). These are processed by our Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) and Hazard Detection & Avoidance (HDA) systems, and are a vital step in validating our autonomous landing technologies for a GPS-denied environment.

Griffin-1 Manifest

Astrolab’s FLIP (FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform) rover is undergoing developmental thermal vacuum testing, and core rover systems are integrated. Astrolab has individually tested key units and completed integrated functional testing of avionics, power and telecommunications. In addition, we have completed mobility and egress testing using the FLIP test platform.

Over the next several months, Astrolab will complete payload integration and vehicle-level protoqualification testing. The mission will demonstrate critical technologies—including telerobotic operations, lunar mobility, solar power generation and thermal resilience—that form the foundation of Astrolab’s larger FLEX rover. In addition to commercial and government payload operations, Astrolab will conduct key experiments in mobility, perception, dust characterization, guidance and navigation, and communication.

BEACON‘s joint mission development with Astrobotic and Mission Control is well underway. A simulation has been completed on a Flatsat, a high-fidelity electrical copy of the rover used for testing. The rover has successfully connected and communicated with the Griffin lunar lander’s Flatsat.

This integrated simulation, which included CubeRover® operating with Mission Control’s Spacefarer™ software, is helping finalize the rover’s software ahead of its expected completion at the end of October.

All secondary payloads have been received and are undergoing final physical and functional checkouts on our Production FlatSat system, which supports end-to-end systems and software verification.

Structural Integration

Griffin’s core structure is nearing full integration. Pressurant tanks, ramps, attitude control thrusters and solar panels have all successfully undergone fit checks.

Looking Ahead

With engine qualification testing underway and critical systems coming online, Griffin-1 is advancing towards the Moon. Each milestone brings us closer to delivering payloads to the lunar surface, demonstrating precision landing, and advancing sustainable lunar infrastructure. The team is targeting the next viable launch window, which opens in July 2026.

Stay tuned for more mission updates as we near completion of Griffin-1 for the Moon and beyond.

Source: Astrobotic

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Astrobotic


Astrobotic


Astrolab

The Latest Update on Astrobotic's Next Moon Mission...

Astrobotic

Integrated Griffin-1 Simulation Sticks the Landing! (Press Release - June 19)

After years of hard work, the Astrobotic team has successfully completed a fully integrated hardware-in-the-loop landing simulation for Griffin-1. During this test, the Griffin-1 flight software, including its Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) system, ran on a production flatsat, which is a platform built with engineering models of the actual flight avionics. This setup was connected to a high-fidelity simulation that included emulated hardware valves, sensor models, physics and environmental conditions.

The flatsat also included an engineering model of the Griffin-1 flight transponder connected to a Telemetry, Tracking and Control (TT&C) receiver. This allowed us to emulate a ground station interface and connect directly to the Astrobotic Mission Control Center (AMCC).

This full-scale Descent Mission Operator Simulation, with the flatsat linked to AMCC, successfully validated Griffin’s descent procedures: from maneuver planning and execution to re-establishing communication with the surface. It also served as a valuable training session for our mission operators.

At the same time, the GN&C, Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN), and Hazard Detection (HD) teams demonstrated a successful soft landing using the same flight-like flatsat setup. For the first time, the TRN and HD computing systems were fully integrated and operating live within the loop. These systems received realistic, real-time camera images and lidar scans of the lunar surface from Astrobotic’s LunaRay software suite integrated with the high-fidelity simulation.

Earlier tests relied on statistical models of the TRN and HD sensors, but this recent simulation marks a major milestone: the full computing stack ran together with the flight software and GN&C system on realistic hardware. This achievement lays the groundwork for even more flight-like tests in the near future.

Congratulations to the team for validating these critical flight software capabilities. Every step takes us closer to a safe and successful landing on the Moon.

Source: Astrobotic

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Astrolab

Photos of the Day: Blue Ghost in Mini-Brick Form...

Richard T. Par

Just thought I'd end March by sharing these images of the Blue Ghost mini-brick model that I bought from Firefly Aerospace earlier this month!

As mentioned in this entry from my Human Spaceflight Blog, I planned on ordering the Blue Ghost model online if the actual lander successfully touched down on the Moon over four weeks ago. And successfully touched down Blue Ghost did!

Unlike my LEGO® Artemis 1 rocket and Perseverance Mars rover, as well as my Atom Brick New Glenn rocket, Blue Ghost was relatively quick to build—as it 'only' consisted of 196 pieces. Just like my Artemis 1 rocket and the Percy rover, Blue Ghost is now kept dust-free inside an acrylic case that I bought online.

I initially bought a 4.2"x4.2"x4.2" glass case from a local Michaels store...but Blue Ghost barely fits inside this display. So I went to Amazon and purchased a 5"x5"x5" case, and the mini-brick lander fits perfectly in that one! (The 4.2"x4.2"x4.2" case now holds a LEGO Boba Fett figure and Grogu figurine, which you can see in the very last photo of this entry.)

Astrobotic has a mini-brick version of its Griffin lunar lander, which is scheduled to launch no earlier than this December. Just like with Blue Ghost, I intend on waiting to see the outcome of Griffin Mission One before I decide to buy something to commemorate Astrobotic's next Moon flight. Happy Monday!


Richard T. Par


Richard T. Par


Richard T. Par


Richard T. Par


Richard T. Par


Richard T. Par


Richard T. Par


Richard T. Par

ULA's Newest Rocket Is Ready to Launch Classified Satellites for the U.S. Military...

United Launch Alliance

U.S. Space Force (USSF) Certifies United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan for National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Missions (Press Release - March 26)

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command’s (SSC) Assured Access to Space organization has announced the certification of United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan launch system for National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions. ULA is now eligible to launch NSSL missions as one of two certified providers.

“Assured access to space is a core function of the Space Force and a critical element of national security,” said Brig. Gen. Panzenhagen, Program Executive Officer for Assured Access to Space. “Vulcan certification adds launch capacity, resiliency and flexibility needed by our nation’s most critical space-based systems.”

NSSL certification is a rigorous process for launch service providers to demonstrate their ability to design, produce and qualify a new launch system that will successfully deliver national security space satellites to orbit.

Vulcan’s certification is the culmination of several years of effort by the Space Force and ULA, which encompassed 52 certification criteria, including more than 180 discrete tasks, 2 certification flight demonstrations, 60 payload interface requirement verifications, 18 subsystem design and test reviews, and 114 hardware and software audits, all to establish the technical baseline from which the Space Force will make future flight worthiness determinations for launch.

“The SSC and ULA teams have worked together extremely closely, and certification of this launch system is a direct result of their focus, dedication and teamwork,” said Panzenhagen.

“We are proud to have launched 100 national security space missions and honored to continue serving the nation with our new Vulcan rocket,” said Tory Bruno, president and CEO of United Launch Alliance. “We thank the Space Force for their collaboration and confidence, and we are honored to support our national security needs for many years to come.”

Assured Access to Space executes the U.S. Space Force’s Core Competency of Space Mobility and Logistics. It secures reliable and responsive launch services to deploy the space-based capabilities needed by our Nation's warfighters, intelligence professionals, decision makers, allies and partners. Additionally, it operates and sustains resilient and ready launch and test infrastructure to project on-orbit warfighting capability through all phases of conflict and to expand US economic, technological and scientific leadership.

Further, Assured Access to Space delivers servicing, mobility and logistics capabilities that operate in, from and to the space domain.

Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force’s field command responsible for acquiring and delivering resilient warfighting capabilities to protect our nation’s strategic advantage in, from and to space. SSC manages a $15.6 billion space acquisition budget for the DoD and works in partnership with joint forces, industry, government agencies and academic and allied organizations to accelerate innovation and outpace emerging threats. Our actions today are making the world a better space for tomorrow.

Source: United States Space Force

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United Launch Alliance

Vulcan Is Ready to Fly Again Months After Sending Astrobotic's Failed Peregrine Moon Lander into Space...

United Launch Alliance

Cert-2: Vulcan Rocket Readied for Second Flight Test (News Release)

The second United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket stands fully assembled for launch no earlier than October 4 to fulfill flight test obligations and complete its certification process with the U.S. Space Force to carry national security payloads starting later this year.

Liftoff will occur from Space Launch Complex (SLC)-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida during a launch window of 6 to 9 a.m. EDT.

This second Certification (Cert-2) launch will demonstrate Vulcan's high-energy rocket architecture by achieving an Earth-escape trajectory and placing the Centaur V with an inert, non-deployable payload into deep space where it will orbit the Sun for the rest of time. Cert-2 follows Vulcan's successful inaugural launch on January 8, 2024.

The mission will further demonstrate the operational capabilities of Vulcan, perform unique experiments and run complex demonstrations for potential incorporation into future missions.

"After the key objectives necessary for certification are completed, the mission will evaluate additional changes to design of the upper stage and how it is operated over long coast periods to further increase its endurance," said Mark Peller, ULA's senior vice president, Vulcan Development and Advanced Programs.

This Vulcan rocket, designated V-002, was built in ULA's unique rocket factory in Decatur, Alabama, then shipped to the Florida launch site aboard the R/S RocketShip.

The launch campaign at Vertical Integration Facility-G (VIF-G) began on August 10 when the Vulcan booster stage was hoisted aboard the mobile Vulcan Launch Platform (VLP). The stage measures 109 feet (33 meters) in length and 17.7 feet (5.4 meters) in diameter. Made of internal orthogrid aluminum construction to create a structurally-stable stage, it is equipped with two BE-4 main engines, each producing approximately 550,000 pounds (2.45 mega-Newtons) of thrust to lift Vulcan out of the atmosphere on the way to orbit.

A pair of Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM) 63XL solid rocket boosters (SRBs) were added to the sides of the first stage on August 13 and August 14. Measuring 63 inches (1.6 meters) in diameter and 72 feet (21 meters) in length, each motor is filled with over 100,000 pounds (45,360 kg) of aluminized solid propellant to deliver 463,249 pounds (2.1 mega-Newtons) of thrust at its peak.

Together, the methane-fueled main engines and SRBs will provide the 2 million pounds (8.9 kilo-Newtons) of thrust generated at liftoff to power Vulcan off the launch pad.

The high-performance Centaur V upper stage -- 38.5 feet (11.7 meters) long and 17.7 feet (5.4 meters) in diameter -- was installed atop the rocket on August 17. With its pressure-stabilized stainless-steel tanks, the cryogenic stage features two RL10C-1-1A engines, each producing 23,825 pounds (106 kilo-Newtons) of thrust to shape the mission's final orbital destination.

The Cert-2 payload, already encapsulated in the composite fairing measuring 17.7 feet (5.4 meters) in diameter and 51 feet (15.5 meters) in length, was moved from the off-site preparation facility to VIF-G adjacent to SLC-41 on September 21.

ULA technicians attached the lifting sling to the payload and hoisted it into the VIF for connection to the Centaur V upper stage of the Vulcan rocket, which now stands fully assembled at 202 feet (61.6 meters) tall.

Integrated testing and a complete electrical checkout of the combined rocket and payload will be completed in the coming days while final readiness reviews and closeout activities are performed in preparation for rollout of the rocket on its VLP to SLC-41 for a Wet Dress Rehearsal, followed by the countdown and liftoff.

This is the second of two flight tests required for ULA's certification process with the U.S. Space Force. ULA has worked in close partnership with the Space Force throughout the design, development, testing and production of the next-generation rocket for assured access to space. The Space Force selected Vulcan as the No. 1 offeror and "best value" choice in the Phase 2 National Security Space Launch (NSSL) competition.

Vulcan incorporates the best attributes of the venerable Atlas and Delta heritage rocket families and introduces innovative technologies and streamlined processes, creating one launch solution that meets the demanding requirements for launching critical national security missions to the full spectrum of orbits.

Source: United Launch Alliance

So I'm QUITE PISSED at NASA (and Astrobotic) Right Now...

NASA

NASA Ends VIPER Project, Continues Moon Exploration (News Release)

Following a comprehensive internal review, NASA announced Wednesday its intent to discontinue development of its VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) project.

NASA stated cost increases, delays to the launch date, and the risks of future cost growth as the reasons to stand down on the mission. The rover was originally planned to launch in late 2023, but in 2022, NASA requested a launch delay to late 2024 to provide more time for preflight testing of the Astrobotic lander.

Since that time, additional schedule and supply chain delays pushed VIPER’s readiness date to September 2025, and independently its CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) launch aboard Astrobotic’s Griffin lander has also been delayed to a similar time. Continuation of VIPER would result in an increased cost that threatens cancellation or disruption to other CLPS missions.

NASA has notified Congress of the agency’s intent.

“We are committed to studying and exploring the Moon for the benefit of humanity through the CLPS program,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The agency has an array of missions planned to look for ice and other resources on the Moon over the next five years. Our path forward will make maximum use of the technology and work that went into VIPER, while preserving critical funds to support our robust lunar portfolio.”

Moving forward, NASA is planning to disassemble and reuse VIPER’s instruments and components for future Moon missions. Prior to disassembly, NASA will consider expressions of interest from U.S. industry and international partners by Thursday, August 1, for use of the existing VIPER rover system at no cost to the government.

Interested parties should contact HQ-CLPS-Payload@mail.nasa.gov after 10 a.m. EDT on Thursday, July 18. The project will conduct an orderly close out through spring 2025.

Astrobotic will continue its Griffin Mission One within its contract with NASA, working toward a launch scheduled for no earlier than fall 2025. The landing without VIPER will provide a flight demonstration of the Griffin lander and its engines.

NASA will pursue alternative methods to accomplish many of VIPER’s goals and verify the presence of ice at the lunar South Pole. A future CLPS delivery – the Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) — scheduled to land at the South Pole during the fourth quarter of 2024, will search for water ice and carry out a resource utilization demonstration using a drill and mass spectrometer to measure the volatile content of subsurface materials.

Additionally, future instruments as part of NASA’s crewed missions – for example, the Lunar Terrain Vehicle — will allow for mobile observations of volatiles across the south polar region, as well as provide access for astronauts to the Moon’s permanently shadowed regions for dedicated sample return campaigns. The agency will also use copies of three of VIPER’s four instruments for future Moon landings on separate flights.

The VIPER rover was designed to search Earth’s Moon for ice and other potential resources – in support of NASA’s commitment to study the Moon and help unravel some of the greatest mysteries of our solar system. Through NASA’s lunar initiatives, including Artemis human missions and CLPS, NASA is exploring more of the Moon than ever before using highly-trained astronauts, advanced robotics, U.S. commercial providers and international partners.

Source: NASA.Gov

NASA's Artemis Moon Rover Is Now 88% Assembled...

NASA / Helen Arase Vargas

NASA VIPER Robotic Moon Rover Team Raises Its Mighty Mast (News Release)

NASA’s VIPER – short for the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover – now stands taller and more capable than ever. And that’s thanks to its mast.

VIPER’s mast, and the suite of instruments affixed to it, looks a lot like the rover’s “neck” and “head.” The mast instruments are designed to help the team of rover drivers and real-time scientists send commands and receive data while the rover navigates around hazardous crater slopes, boulders and places that risk communications blackouts.

The team will use these instruments, along with four science payloads, to scout the lunar South Pole. During its approximately 100-day mission, VIPER seeks to better understand the origin of water and other resources on the Moon, as well as the extreme environment where NASA plans to send astronauts as part of the Artemis campaign.

The tip of VIPER’s mast stands approximately eight feet (2.5 meters) above its wheel rims and is equipped with a pair of stereo navigation cameras, a pair of powerful LED headlights, as well as a low- and high-gain antenna to transmit data to and receive data from the Deep Space Network (DSN) antennas on Earth.

The stereo navigation cameras – the “eyes” of the rover – are mounted to a part of the mast that gimbals, allowing the team to pan them as much as 400 degrees around and tilt them up and down as much as 75 degrees. The VIPER team will use the navigation cameras to take sweeping panoramas of the rover’s surroundings and images to detect and further study surface features such as rocks and craters as small as four inches (10 cm) in diameter – or about the length of a pencil – from as far as 50 feet (15 meters) away.

And because the navigation cameras are mounted up high, it gives the VIPER team a near human-like perspective as the rover explores areas of scientific interest around the Moon’s South Pole.

Due to the extremes of light and darkness found on the Moon, VIPER will be the first planetary rover to have headlights. The headlights will cast a narrow, long-distance beam – much like a car’s high beams – to help the team reveal obstacles or interesting terrain features that would otherwise stay hidden in the shadows.

Positioned next to the rover’s two navigation cameras, the lights feature arrays of blue LEDs that the rover navigation team determined would provide the best visibility given the challenging lighting conditions on the Moon.

In order to transmit large amounts of data across the 240,000 miles (384,000 km) that separate Earth and the Moon, VIPER has a gimballing precision-pointed, high-gain antenna that will send information along a very focused, narrow beam. Its low-gain antenna will also send data but using radio waves at a much lower data rate.

The ability for the antennas to maintain the correct orientation, even while driving, serves a critical function: without it, the rover cannot receive commands while in motion on the Moon and cannot transmit any of its data back to Earth for scientists to achieve their mission goals. All that data is then transferred from the DSN to the Multi-Mission Operations and Control Center at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, where rover operations are based.

Prior to installation on the rover, engineers put the mast through a variety of testing. This included time in a thermal vacuum chamber to verify that the white coating surrounding the mast insulates as intended.

After the mast’s integration in the clean room at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the team also successfully performed check-outs of its components and for the first time sent data through the rover using its antennas.

VIPER is part of the Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program and is managed by the Planetary Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. VIPER will launch to the Moon aboard Astrobotic’s Griffin lunar lander on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.

VIPER will reach its destination at Mons Mouton near the Moon’s South Pole.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Josh Valcarcel

Peregrine Is No More, While Japan Became the Fifth Nation to Softly Land on the Moon...

United Launch Alliance

NASA Science, Astrobotic Peregrine Mission One Concludes (News Release)

The first flight of NASA’s commercial lunar delivery service carrying agency science and technology, as well as other customer payloads intended for the Moon, has come to an end. After 10 days and 13 hours in space, Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One made a controlled re-entry on Earth over open water in the South Pacific at approximately 4:04 p.m. EST on January 18.

Astrobotic was the first commercial vendor to launch a mission to the Moon as part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative, which aims to advance capabilities for science, exploration or commercial development of the Moon under the agency’s Artemis campaign. There are seven additional CLPS deliveries awarded to multiple American companies, with more awards expected this year and for years to come.

The next CLPS commercial flight is targeted for no earlier than February.

Following a successful launch and separation from the rocket on January 8, the spacecraft experienced a propulsion issue preventing Peregrine from softly landing on the Moon. After analysis and recommendations from NASA and the space community, Astrobotic determined that the best option for minimizing risk and ensuring responsible disposal of the spacecraft would be to maintain Peregrine’s trajectory toward Earth, where it burned up upon re-entry.

“Space exploration is a daring task, and the science and spaceflight data collected from Astrobotic’s lunar lander is better preparing NASA for future CLPS deliveries and crewed missions under Artemis,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “The future of exploration is strengthened by collaboration. Together with our commercial partners, NASA is supporting a growing commercial space economy that will help take humanity back to the Moon and beyond.”

Four out of five NASA payloads on Peregrine successfully powered on and collected data while in flight:

- Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer (LETS)
- Near-Infrared Volatile Spectrometer System (NIRVSS)
- Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS)
- Peregrine Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS)

NASA’s LRA (Laser Retroreflector Array) instrument is a passive experiment, and operations could only take place on the lunar surface.

NASA science teams are currently working to interpret the results. Preliminary data suggests that the instruments have measured natural radiation and chemical compounds in the area around the lander.

“Astrobotic’s Peregrine mission provided an invaluable opportunity to test our science and instruments in space, optimizing our process for collecting data and providing a benchmark for future missions,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The data collected in flight sets the stage for understanding how some of our instruments may behave in the harsh environment of space when some of the duplicates fly on future CLPS flights.”

NASA is committed to supporting its U.S. commercial vendors as they navigate the challenges of sending science and technology to the surface of the Moon.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Astrobotic

(2/2)Peregrine captured this video moments after successful separation from @ulalaunch Vulcan rocket. Counterclockwise from top left center is the DHL MoonBox, Astroscale's Pocari Sweat Lunar Dream Time Capsule, & Peregrine landing leg. Background: our big blue marble, Earth! pic.twitter.com/1y4OsosNDp

— Astrobotic (@astrobotic) January 19, 2024

(2/3) Peregrine and its payload teams have made a meaningful contribution to our lunar future, and we thank everyone who supported this mission. Courtesy of @ulalaunch, this video was captured from their #Vulcan rocket's payload fairing.

Peregrine has flown so Griffin may land. pic.twitter.com/XweEz4OGOl

— Astrobotic (@astrobotic) January 19, 2024

(3/3) Carnegie Mellon University's Iris rover wheels wave goodbye.

Ad luna per aspera. pic.twitter.com/BsR23PDbRt

— Astrobotic (@astrobotic) January 19, 2024

Japan makes history with tense, successful moon landing https://t.co/M0KcsvYqDz pic.twitter.com/GRRl3iQtxr

— SpaceNews (@SpaceNews_Inc) January 19, 2024

Japan becomes fifth country to land on the moon with JAXA's SLIM spacecraft https://t.co/0ul9d2cWhO

— CNBC (@CNBC) January 19, 2024

The Peregrine Moon Lander Will Re-enter Earth's Atmosphere in Four Days...

Astrobotic

With NASA Science Aboard, Astrobotic’s Mission Continues to Evolve (News Release)

The following NASA statement is attributed to Dr. Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington:

As part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative, Astrobotic’s Peregrine became the first American commercial lunar lander to launch on a mission to the Moon. Under the Artemis campaign, NASA is supporting exploration through the development of a lunar economy fostering a new commercial robotic delivery service carrying NASA science and technology instruments to the Moon in advance of future missions with crew.

The privately designed and developed Peregrine robotic spacecraft uses novel, industry-developed technology, some of which has never flown in space. Shortly after a successful launch and separation from the rocket on January 8, the spacecraft experienced a propulsion issue that would ultimately prevent it from softly landing on the Moon.

Astrobotic said on its current trajectory, Peregrine will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere on Thursday, January 18, and is likely to burn up. Astrobotic worked with NASA’s assistance to assess the most appropriate action, and this is the best approach to safely and responsibly conclude Peregrine Mission One.

While it’s too soon to understand the root cause of the propulsion incident, NASA continues to support Astrobotic, and will assist in reviewing flight data, identifying the cause, and developing a plan forward for the company’s future CLPS and commercial flights.

Spaceflight is an unforgiving environment, and we commend Astrobotic for its perseverance and making every viable effort to collect data and show its capabilities of Peregrine while in flight. Together, we will use the lessons learned to advance CLPS.

Source: NASA.Gov

Astrobotic Continues to Make the Most of Its Ill-Fated Inaugural Lunar Mission...

Astrobotic

NASA Science, Data Collection Ongoing Aboard Peregrine Mission One (News Release)

NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative aims to deliver science and technology to the Moon to advance our capabilities in lunar exploration. Shortly after launch, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander experienced a failure in the propulsion system, causing a critical loss of propellant.

Astrobotic announced that due to the failure, Peregrine will not achieve a soft lunar landing for this mission. Efforts by the Astrobotic team have recovered the spacecraft and allowed Peregrine to remain operationally stable collecting data about the interplanetary environment.

All NASA payloads that can power on have received power and are effectively gathering data, although interpreting the results will require some time.

Both Astrobotic and NASA are taking advantage of this flight time by extending the science of Peregrine Mission One into cislunar space. NASA payloads including NSS (Neutron Spectrometer System), LETS (Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer), PITMS (Peregrine Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer) and NIRVSS (Near Infrared Volatile Spectrometer System) have successfully powered on while the spacecraft has been operationally stable.

Since the LRA (Laser Retroreflector Array) instrument is a passive experiment that can only be conducted on the lunar surface, it cannot conduct any operations in transit.

A novel NASA space technology guidance and navigation sensor, which Astrobotic incorporated as a Peregrine lander component, NDL (Navigation Doppler Lidar), has also been successfully powered on.

“Measurements and operations of the NASA-provided science instruments on board will provide valuable experience, technical knowledge and scientific data to future CLPS lunar deliveries,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration with NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

Some of the NASA-provided payloads aboard Peregrine were already scheduled for future lunar flights. The team is taking this opportunity to collect as much science data as possible and to further characterize the performance and functionality of the science instruments while the spacecraft follows its current trajectory.

Astrobotic is striving to extend Peregrine’s mission, allowing for additional data collection for NASA’s and other customers’ payloads.

Two of the payloads, NSS and LETS, are making measurements of the radiation environment in interplanetary space around the Earth and the Moon. The two instruments are measuring different components of the radiation spectrum, which provide complementary insights into the galactic cosmic ray activity and space weather resulting from solar activity.

This data helps characterize the interplanetary radiation environment for humans and electronics.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Update #13 for Peregrine Mission One: pic.twitter.com/boDu78hmoh

— Astrobotic (@astrobotic) January 12, 2024

Peregrine Has Successfully Launched But Sadly Won't Land on the Moon...

United Launch Alliance

United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches First Next-Generation Vulcan Rocket (Press Release)

The inaugural launch marks the beginning of an exciting new era for ULA

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla. – United Launch Alliance (ULA) marked the beginning of a new era of space capabilities with the successful launch of its next-generation Vulcan rocket on January 8 at 2:18 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Vulcan provides industry-leading capabilities to deliver any payload, at any time, to any orbit.

“Vulcan’s inaugural launch ushers in a new, innovative capability to meet the ever-growing requirements of space launch,” said Tory Bruno, ULA’s president and CEO. “Vulcan will provide high performance and affordability while continuing to deliver our superior reliability and orbital precision for all our customers across the national security, civil and commercial markets. Vulcan continues the legacy of Atlas as the world’s only high-energy architecture rocket.”

Vulcan will leverage the world’s highest-performing upper stage to deliver on ULA’s industry-leading legacy of reliability and precision. Centaur V’s matchless flexibility and extreme endurance enables the most complex orbital insertions within the most challenging and clandestine orbits.

“The successful development and flight of this evolutionary rocket is a true testament to the unrivaled dedication and ingenuity of our workforce,” said Mark Peller, vice president of Vulcan Development. “Vulcan’s purpose-built design leverages the best of what we’ve learned from more than 120 combined years of launch experience with Atlas and Delta, ultimately advancing our nation’s space capability and providing unprecedented mission flexibility.”

The first certification flight (Cert-1) mission included two payloads: Astrobotic's first Peregrine lunar lander, Peregrine Mission One (PM1), as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative to deliver science and technology to the lunar surface, and the Celestis Memorial Spaceflights deep space Voyager mission, the Enterprise Flight.

The Cert-1 mission served as the first of two certification flights required for the U.S. Space Force’s certification process. The second certification mission (Cert-2) is planned to launch in the coming months, followed by a summer launch of the first Vulcan mission to support national security space.

“As we build on today’s successful launch, the team will continue to work towards our future bi-weekly launch rate to meet our customers’ manifest requirements, while continuing to develop future Vulcan upgrades including SMART reuse plans for downrange, non-propulsive recovery of Vulcan engines,” said Bruno.

ULA has sold more than 70 Vulcan launches to date, including 38 missions for Amazon’s Project Kuiper and multiple national security space launch missions as part of the country’s Phase 2 launch procurement.

Source: United Launch Alliance

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Astrobotic

Update #6 for Peregrine Mission One: pic.twitter.com/lXh9kcubXs

— Astrobotic (@astrobotic) January 9, 2024

After a successful launch this morning, Astrobotic is assessing a propulsion issue with its lunar lander. Check @Astrobotic for updates.

Each mission is an opportunity to learn. We're proud to work with our partners to advance exploration of the Moon. https://t.co/NARUSW6RiA

— NASA (@NASA) January 8, 2024

Peregrine's Ride to the Moon Is Now at the Launch Pad!

United Launch Alliance

Earlier today, United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rocket exited the Vertical Integration Facility and rolled out to the pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex (SLC)-41 in Florida...beginning the final step of sending Astrobotic's Peregrine lander to the Moon over two days from now.

Vulcan Centaur is scheduled to lift off from SLC-41 on January 8 at 2:18 AM, EST (January 7 at 11:18 PM, PST)—beginning Peregrine's long-awaited journey through space that will hopefully conclude with a safe and successful landing near the Moon's Gruithuisen Domes later next month, on February 23.

Here are a couple of photos of Vulcan Centaur rolling out to the pad several hours ago. Needless to say, this is one gorgeous-looking rocket!


United Launch Alliance


United Launch Alliance


United Launch Alliance


United Launch Alliance


United Launch Alliance


Tory Bruno


United Launch Alliance

The Launch Readiness Review is GO for Monday's launch of #VulcanRocket #Cert1 flight test carrying a commercial lunar lander. Launch time is 2:18amEST (0718 UTC) and weather is 85% GO. Updates and webcast: https://t.co/xFQoT0042V pic.twitter.com/9aYApOhMMj

— ULA (@ulalaunch) January 4, 2024

That’s how we roll. #ToryTimelapse #VulcanRocket pic.twitter.com/3bz9LgMZ0r

— Tory Bruno (@torybruno) January 5, 2024

We've covered a lot of important aspects of the Peregrine lander over the past few weeks, but there's one big question we haven't addressed yet: Why are we sending it to the Moon in the first place?
Short Answer: BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT.
Long Answer: 🧵1/ pic.twitter.com/QmDUSi3zlm

— Astrobotic (@astrobotic) January 5, 2024

Fly Your Name Aboard VIPER to the Lunar Surface!

NASA Ames / Daniel Rutter

NASA Invites Public to Send Names Aboard Artemis Robotic Moon Rover (Press Release)

NASA is inviting people to send their names to the surface of the Moon aboard the agency’s first robotic lunar rover, VIPER – short for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover. The rover will embark on a mission to the lunar South Pole to unravel the mysteries of the Moon’s water and better understand the environment where NASA plans to land the first woman and first person of color under its Artemis program.

As part of the Send Your Name with VIPER campaign, NASA will accept names received before 11:59 p.m. EST on March 15. Once collected, the agency will take the names and attach them to the rover.

To add your name, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/send-your-name-with-viper

The site also enables participants to create and download a virtual souvenir – a boarding pass to the VIPER mission featuring their name – to commemorate the experience. Participants are encouraged to share their requests on social media using the hashtag #SendYourName.

“With VIPER, we are going to study and explore parts of the Moon’s surface no one has ever been to before – and with this campaign, we are inviting the world to be part of that risky yet rewarding journey,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Just think: Our names will ride along as VIPER navigates across the rugged terrain of the lunar South Pole and gathers valuable data that will help us better understand the history of the Moon and the environment where we plan to send Artemis astronauts.”

This campaign is like other NASA projects that have enabled tens of millions of people to send their names to ride along with Artemis I, several Mars spacecraft, and the agency’s upcoming Europa Clipper mission. It draws from the agency’s long tradition of shipping inspirational messages on spacecraft that have explored our solar system and beyond.

“Our VIPER is a game-changer,” said Daniel Andrews, VIPER’s project manager at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. “It’s the first mission of its kind, expanding our understanding of where lunar resources could be harvested to support a long-term human presence on the Moon.”

In late 2024, Astrobotic Technologies’ Griffin Mission One is scheduled to deliver VIPER to the lunar surface after launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Once there, VIPER will rely on its solar panels and batteries for its roughly 100-day mission to survive extreme temperatures and challenging lighting conditions, while powering a suite of science instruments designed to gather data about the characteristics and concentrations of lunar ice and other possible resources.

NASA’s VIPER delivery is part of its CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative under the Artemis program. With CLPS, as well as with human exploration near the lunar South Pole, NASA will establish a long-term cadence of Moon missions in preparation for sending the first astronauts to Mars.

The rover is part of the LDEP (Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program), managed by the Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s headquarters and is executed through the Exploration Science Strategy and Integration Office. In addition to managing the mission, NASA Ames leads the mission’s science, systems engineering, real-time rover surface operations and flight software.

The rover hardware is designed and built by NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, while the instruments are provided by NASA Ames, the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and commercial partner Honeybee Robotics in Altadena, California.

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The Peregrine Lander Is Now at the Launch Complex for Its January 8 Flight to the Moon!

United Launch Alliance

Vulcan Cert-1: Payloads Mounted Atop Rocket for Launch (News Release)

The payload complement for the inaugural United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket is atop the launch vehicle in preparation for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on January 8 at 2:18 a.m. ET.

The Certification-1 (Cert-1) flight test will launch the first Astrobotic Peregrine commercial lunar lander into a highly-elliptical orbit more than 220,000 miles (360,000 km) above Earth to intercept the Moon and carry a Celestis Memorial Spaceflight Payload into deep space.

Peregrine is slated to be the first private American spacecraft to be launched as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative to deliver science and technology experiments to the lunar surface. The Celestis payload includes cremated remains of the creator and beloved stars of the original Star Trek television series and DNA samples of former U.S. presidents.

The Cert-1 cargo, already encapsulated in the composite payload fairing measuring 17.7 feet (5.4 meters) in diameter and 51 feet (15.5 meters) in length, was moved overnight from the payload processing facility to ULA’s Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) adjacent to Space Launch Complex (SLC)-41.

This morning, ULA technicians attached the lifting sling to the payload and hoisted it into the VIF for connection to the Centaur V upper stage of the Vulcan rocket, which now stands fully assembled at 202 feet (61.6 meters) tall.

Integrated testing and a complete electrical checkout of the combined rocket and payload will be completed in the coming days while final readiness reviews and closeout activities are performed in preparation for rollout of the rocket on its Vulcan Launch Platform (VLP) to SLC-41 for the countdown and liftoff.

For this inaugural flight, the rocket is flying in the Vulcan VC2S variant. The two-stage rocket uses two BE-4 methane-fueled engines on the booster stage, two GEM 63XL solid rocket boosters, dual RL10C-1-1A engines on the Centaur V upper stage and encapsulates the spacecraft in the standard-sized Out-of-Autoclave (OoA) payload fairing.

Peregrine is equipped with a diverse suite of scientific instruments, technologies, mementos and other payloads from seven different countries, dozens of science teams and hundreds of individuals. The lander also carries a shoebox-sized, 2 kg (4.4-pound) rover, called Iris, that was built by Carnegie Mellon students to take geological images.

NASA's payload suite includes a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensor to determine the Peregrine spacecraft's exact velocity and position to land, laser retroreflectors for use in determining the lander's precise location, a radiation sensor to collect information about the lunar environment and spectrometers to measure resources at the landing site and the lunar exosphere.

NASA is working with American companies to deliver scientific, exploration and technology payloads to the Moon’s surface and orbit. The science investigations and technology demonstrations delivered to the lunar surface through CLPS are part of the agency’s broader goal of returning humans to the Moon through the Artemis program.

The Peregrine landing site is an ancient, hardened lava flow – outside of the Gruithuisen Domes, a geologic enigma along the highlands boundary on the northeast border of the Ocean of Storms, the largest dark spot on the Moon. The Domes are suspected to have been formed by a sticky magma rich in silica, similar in composition to granite.

On Earth, formations like these need significant water content and plate tectonics to form, but without these key ingredients on the Moon, lunar scientists have been left to wonder how these domes formed and evolved over time.

The spacecraft stands 6.2 feet (1.9 meters) tall and 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) wide. It will operate for approximately 10 days on the surface.

The Celestis mission will launch 265 flight capsules containing cremated remains, DNA samples and messages of greetings from clients worldwide on an endless journey in interplanetary space beyond the Earth-Moon system and orbit the Sun forever. Aboard are the creator of the original Star Trek television series, Gene Roddenberry, his wife Majel Barrett Roddenberry, and cast members Nichelle Nichols, the actress who played Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, and beloved actor, James "Scotty" Doohan who played the chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise.

DNA samples of former U.S. presidents George Washington, John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower will also be part of the Celestis memorial payload, together with people from all walks of life, interests and vocations.

The Celestis payload will remain affixed to the Centaur V, which will be placed in a hyperbolic orbit around the Sun following completion of the Peregrine portion of the launch and subsequent propellant depletion and standard safing activities for an upper stage. It will remain in this orbit for eternity.

This is the first of two flight tests required for ULA's certification process with the U.S. Space Force. ULA has worked in close partnership with the Space Force throughout the design, development, testing and production of the next-generation rocket for assured access to space.

The Space Force selected Vulcan as the No. 1 offeror and "best value" choice in the Phase 2 National Security Space Launch (NSSL) competition.

Source: United Launch Alliance

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United Launch Alliance


United Launch Alliance


United Launch Alliance

The Vulcan Rocket's Very First Payload Is All Set for Its Launch to the Moon Next Month...

Astrobotic

Astrobotic Peregrine Fueled & Ready for Lunar Mission (Press Release)

Fueled and integrated with ULA’s Vulcan rocket, Peregrine is targeting launch on January 8, 2024

Pittsburgh, PA – Astrobotic announced today that their Peregrine lunar lander successfully completed all integration milestones and was mated with United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket payload adapter on November 16, 2023. After a 3-week campaign to fuel and complete final checkouts, the Peregrine spacecraft is ready to launch a historic mission to the Moon on January 8, 2024.

“I have high praise for the professionalism, dedication and technical expertise demonstrated by the Astrobotic team throughout the complex multi-year Peregrine development program. Evolving Peregrine from a paper concept to a fully-tested spacecraft ready for launch is a remarkable achievement for a small business,” said Sharad Bhaskaran, Peregrine Mission One Director.

Peregrine is Astrobotic’s first lander mission, and the team plans to become the first commercial company to successfully land a spacecraft on the lunar surface. The lander carries a total of 20 payloads, or cargo, including 5 from NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.

The payload teams have missions that vary from seeking indications of water-ice near the lunar surface to demonstrating a rover swarm. The lander also has several payloads representing humanity through artwork and historical artifacts.

“If you’ve been following the lunar industry, you understand landing on the Moon’s surface is incredibly difficult. With that said, our team has continuously surpassed expectations and demonstrated incredible ingenuity during flight reviews, spacecraft testing and major hardware integrations,” says John Thornton, Astrobotic CEO. “We are ready for launch, and for landing.”

After launch, Peregrine has a long checklist of milestones to complete on its way to the Moon. The first handful will be executed shortly after launch, when the spacecraft will separate from the rocket, power on, and establish communications with Earth.

At this stage, telemetry flowed through the NASA Deep Space Network system to the Astrobotic Mission Control Center in Pittsburgh will start informing the mission control team of the spacecraft’s position, orientation and general operational health.

About 40 minutes after separation from ULA’s Vulcan rocket, Peregrine’s propulsion system will activate and begin receiving commands from Astrobotic’s Mission Control Center. One of the first commands will initiate thrusters to point Peregrine’s solar panels at the Sun to begin charging its battery.

During cruise, the team will orchestrate trajectory adjustment maneuvers in Earth orbit before lunar orbit insertion.  Peregrine will then dwell in a stable orbit and perform system checkouts before attempting a historic landing on February 23, 2024.

Source: Astrobotic

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Astrobotic


Astrobotic


Astrobotic

Peregrine Is Now Set to Launch to the Moon One Week After New Year's Day...

United Launch Alliance

After United Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully conducted a second Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR) two days ago (due to last Friday's fueling test not going the full duration because of ground equipment issues at Space Launch Complex 41 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida), the company announced this morning that the Vulcan Centaur rocket will launch Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander to the Moon on Monday, January 8!

Space enthusiasts (like me) were hoping that the successful WDR would allow ULA to retain the original December 24 launch date, but ULA CEO Tory Bruno commented (below) that lots of work—such as encapsulating Peregrine inside its Vulcan payload fairing, testing the electrical connections between Peregrine and Vulcan, and installing ordnance (explosive devices that are used to separate the twin solid rocket motors from the Vulcan booster as well as release the payload fairings from around Peregrine once the launch vehicle is out of Earth's atmosphere; among other tasks)—still needs to be done. Getting Vulcan Centaur ready for a launch date that's only 10 days away was pushing it.

It's all good. As long as ULA and Astrobotic continue to do a thorough job in making sure that their respective vehicles are in tip-top shape for a launch that's set for one week after New Year's Day, I'm good.

Vulcan Centaur and Peregrine will fly when they're ready to fly! Happy Thursday.


NASA / Isaac Watson

The #VulcanRocket and Centaur V booster are now venting during today's Wet Dress Rehearsal at SLC-41.https://t.co/eixLiNyhlZ#CountdownToVulcan #Cert1 pic.twitter.com/gCMdEBloVe

— Rich Par (@AstroPnoy) December 12, 2023

A couple of things to do; integrate the payload, test the P/L, test the rocket, install certain ordnance items, etc. (and I don't want to rush these). Can't quite make the December window. Next opportunity is a 4 day window starting on the 8th of Jan

— Tory Bruno (@torybruno) December 14, 2023

Following a successful WDR, the launch of ULA's first #VulcanRocket flight test and #Cert1 mission is planned for Jan. 8, 2024, pending range approval. The Vulcan VC2S rocket will launch from SLC-41 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. https://t.co/xFQoT0042V pic.twitter.com/gkHOBFF6UT

— ULA (@ulalaunch) December 14, 2023