Latest news with #Astrolab
India Today
13-05-2025
- Science
- India Today
Astronauts don new spacesuits being readied for living on the Moon
Former Nasa astronaut Chris Hadfield and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Matthias Maurer recently took part in critical testing of Axiom Space's new lunar spacesuit, the AxEMU, in conjunction with Astrolab's FLEX lunar rover evaluations, conducted at Axiom Space's Houston facilities, mark an important step in preparing astronauts for upcoming Moon missions under Artemis who has extensive spaceflight experience, performed detailed assessments of the crew stand and operational controls of the FLEX rover while wearing the pressurized AxEMU He provided valuable engineering feedback on the suit's fit and the rover's crew interface, highlighting the importance of seamless integration between spacesuit and vehicle. Astronaut Chris Hadfield during the testing of the spacesuit. (Photo: Astrolab) 'Fun to be one of the astronauts testing Axiom Space's new lunar spacesuit and its fit with Astrolab's FLEX Moon rover,' Hadfield Maurer, the first European Space Agency astronaut to test the AxEMU, also gained firsthand experience with the suit's mobility and life-support AxEMU is designed to offer enhanced protection, increased mobility, and thermal regulation-featuring a white exterior to reflect heat and a life-sustaining backpack system-enabling astronauts to operate effectively on the Moon's harsh AxEMU spacesuit has undergone extensive development and simulations, including underwater and reduced gravity tests at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory and Johnson Space is nearing final design review and is slated for use in the Artemis III mission, which aims to return humans to the lunar for visiting @astro_matthias! Matthias got a firsthand look at the spacesuit that will return humans to the Moon. Fun fact: Matthias is the first @ESA astronaut to test out our next-generation spacesuit, the #AxEMU. Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) May 12, 2025Astrolab's FLEX rover, scheduled to deploy at the lunar South Pole in late 2025, is a key platform for testing critical technologies such as hyper-deformable wheels and advanced collaboration between Axiom Space and Astrolab ensures that the AxEMU suit and FLEX rover will integrate safely and effectively, supporting astronauts in conducting geological surveys and scientific experiments on the partnership exemplifies the next generation of commercial spaceflight innovation, advancing human exploration beyond Earth and laying the groundwork for sustainable lunar Watch
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Astrobotic finds new private Moon rover to deliver after NASA pulls plug on VIPER mission
Private Moon company Astrobotic's mission has new life after finding a match made in heaven with its new customer, Astrolab, following Nasa's decision to pull the plug on the agency's VIPER Moon rover. Later this year, Astrobotic will launch its medium-class Griffin lander on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. NASA's VIPER mission was set to fly on Griffin as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) to look for water in the polar regions on the Moon. However, the space agency canceled the program last summer due to delays and budget restraints. "We were devastated when that news came out because we really wanted to be a part of that historic mission and be the ones to deliver that rover," Astrobotic CEO John Thornton told FOX Weather. Still, NASA opted to continue its CLIPS contract with Astrobotic to develop the landing skills needed for future Moon missions, but without the rover. The company planned to fly a payload simulator. Nasa Seeking Good Home For Viper Moon Rover However, Thornton said the response was immediate, with more than 60 companies reaching out to Astrobotic, eager to take VIPER's spot on the Griffin mission. With the mission only a year away from liftoff, Astrobotic narrowed down the potential customers by who could be ready to fly in time. California-based startup Astrolab's small FLIP rover checked those boxes. "The schedule looked good, and the technology was a good sync up and match up. So we didn't have to reinvent and redesign interfaces to the spacecraft. It just kind of all worked out," Thornton said. FLIP is small, with a mass of nearly half a metric ton, and will carry payloads to the lunar south pole designed to study Moondust risks. Astrolab has a larger rover, FLEX, which is in development. The company plans to fly FLEX with SpaceX as soon as next year. Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic launched its first robotic mission to the Moon in January 2024, but the Peregrine lander didn't make it to the lunar surface. Thornton said the 10-day spaceflight after launching on ULA's Vulcan rocket was challenging, but it gave the Astrobotic team experience operating its first spaceflight mission and learning what worked. The mission-ending problem came down to faulty valves. "We didn't find anything other than the valves in the 10 and a half days that we were operating that would have taken the spacecraft down otherwise. So that's good news. But it also kind of makes the valve failure hurt that much more because it's like we were that close." Astrobotic has added a dual-redundant valve system to correct the problem. Both valves with different designs would have to fail for the same result to occur. Thornton said the mission proved their software, avionics and navigation were solid. "All those lessons learned we're incorporating into the new mission and I think we're just going to be that much better for it," he said. "I think our odds of success are really high." The big picture for Astrobotic is landing on the Moon. Only about half of all Moon missions are successful. Last year, Astrobotic was one of two CLIPS missions that attempted to land on the Moon. While Peregrine did not make it, Houston-based space company Intuitive Machines did land – but not upright. It marked the first successful private Moon mission. "It's all about landing for us," Thornton said. "We're putting everything we possibly can into success and making sure this mission can get every chance it can to be successful and show our customers that we can deliver on time and deliver safely upright on the surface of the Moon," Thornton said. The Moon business is booming. Dozens of other private and international missions to Earth's only natural satellite are in the works. Two lunar landers launched from Florida in January are on their way to the Moon right now. NASA plans to return humans to the Moon in the next few years, but this time with plans to maintain a presence there. Thornton explains the lunar south pole contains the key to deeper space exploration. "There's water permanently in the permanently shadowed craters. And if we can get that and harness it, we have water to drink. Of course, you can split water, and then you have oxygen to breathe," Thornton said. "But most importantly, you can split water and condense it and make rocket fuel." And western Pennsylvania has a front-row seat to the Moon business. It's the only place to watch lunar robotics in action with special clearance. The Moonshot Museum is located within Astrobotic's headquarters on Pittsburgh's north side. Visitors can look into the cleanroom where Griffin is currently being worked on. "We're trying to show that window into the $500 billion space industry and show that you don't have to be an engineer with a Ph.D. and go work in some ivory tower at NASA," Thornton said. "You can be right down the street working at the local space company."Original article source: Astrobotic finds new private Moon rover to deliver after NASA pulls plug on VIPER mission
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania company plans to land rover on moon: ‘This is how we lead,' Fetterman said
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Pennsylvania robotics company aims to put a robotic rover on the moon by the end of the year and U.S. Senator John Fetterman said he fully supports the mission. The company wants to 'FLIP' — FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform — as part of Astrobotic's Griffin Mission One (Griffin-1). Venturi Astrolab (Astrolab) and Astrobotic announced that the Griffin lander will put the Astrolab rover on the moon's south pole. It's scheduled to land by the end of 2025 as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS). 'Astrobotic received worldwide interest from dozens of organizations eager to fly aboard Griffin-1, and we conducted a rigorous selection process to identify the mission partner that aligned best with our timeline and Griffin's capabilities,' Astrobotic's founder and CEO John Thorton said in a release. UAE announces groundbreaking mission to asteroid belt, seeking clues to life's origins What was originally supposed to be NASA's VIPER, the organization scrapped plans due to cost and budget restrictions, however, they contracted out their plans for a lunar rover. 'Losing VIPER could've been a setback, but Astrobotic didn't let up. They rolled up their sleeves, found a new way forward, and made sure this mission stayed on track. With Astrolab's FLIP rover onboard, we're showing the world that when challenges come our way, we double down,' U.S. Senator John Fetterman said in the release. FLIP is meant to land at the lunar south pole and demonstrates functions similar to the company's FLEX rover which was revealed in 2023, Astrolab announced an agreement with Elon Musk's SpaceX to help land the lunar rover on the moon by the end of 2025. 'This is how we lead—not by playing it safe but by pushing forward with the technology that'll shape the future of exploration. I couldn't be prouder that Pennsylvania's Astrobotic is making sure America stays first in line to the lunar South Pole,' Fetterman added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
05-02-2025
- Science
- Boston Globe
NASA gave up a ride to the moon. This startup's rover took it.
But then in January 2024, Astrobotic's first lunar mission using a smaller lander failed to reach the moon. Then, in July, NASA officials announced that they were canceling the ice-seeking mission known as the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER. NASA's second thoughts about VIPER opened an opportunity for someone else to book that ride to the moon. Just because its cargo was canceled did not mean Astrobotic's journey was off — it remains scheduled for later this year. And on Wednesday, a small startup named Venturi Astrolab Inc. announced it had claimed that opportunity to accelerate its own lunar rover plans. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'We're excited to get actual wheels in the dirt this year and see how all our tech performs,' Jaret Matthews, CEO of Astrolab, said in an interview. (Despite the similar names, the two companies are unrelated.) Advertisement Many people inside and outside of NASA were perplexed by the cancellation of VIPER, because the rover, while over budget and behind schedule, had been completed. It needed just one more round of testing before it would be ready for launch. NASA officials said that instead, the finished rover would be disassembled. In addition, they said NASA would still pay $323 million to Astrobotic. Thus, canceling the mission would save NASA a relatively paltry amount — $84 million — after it had spent about $800 million. For its fee, Astrobotic would conduct the mission as planned, but the lander spacecraft, known as Griffin, would carry a nonfunctional dummy weight instead of VIPER. NASA officials said that for Astrobotic to perform the landing successfully was in itself a valuable exercise, and that the company was free to sell the payload space on Griffin to another customer if it could, replacing the dummy weight. Advertisement 'We had more than 60 organizations from around the world knock on our door,' said John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic. Astrolab, he said, was the best match. 'They could move fast,' Thornton said. 'They had a payload that matched the interfaces already for the lander.' The rover that Astrolab will fly on this mission is also roughly the same size as VIPER. Matthews declined to say how much Astrolab was paying Astrobotic. Astrolab is developing a rover the size of a Jeep Wrangler that could autonomously drive cargo or people across the moon's surface. The company calls it FLEX, short for Flexible Logistics and Exploration Rover. FLEX is much too big and heavy to fit on Astrobotic's lander. Astrolab has already booked space for FLEX on a future flight of Starship, the gargantuan spacecraft currently under development by SpaceX, the rocket company founded by Elon Musk. But before sending FLEX to the moon, Astrolab wants to send a smaller, 1,000-pound rover named FLIP — short for FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform — to test technologies like batteries, motors, power systems, and communications. A particular goal is studying how to minimize problems caused by particles of lunar dust, which are angular and sharp. The smaller FLIP is the one that Astrobotic's Griffin will take to the moon. Matthews said FLIP would also carry a couple of commercial payloads that would be announced later. Despite Astrobotic's failure last year, Matthews said he had confidence in Astrobotic. 'From our perspective, it's actually a way to reduce risk for our subsequent missions,' he said. 'If we didn't have full confidence in Astrobotic, we wouldn't be doing this.' Thornton said the past year had been one of introspection for the company. 'It's like the old saying, 'Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger,'' he said. 'I think in this case, it really did.' Advertisement Despite NASA's efforts to kill VIPER, the rover is not dead nor dismantled yet. NASA asked for and received proposals to continue the mission without additional investments from NASA. The agency expects to make a decision this summer. But with the new Trump administration indicating more interest in Mars than the moon, everything could change soon. Thornton said Astrobotic was not worrying about that possibility yet. 'There's certainly a lot of conversation in D.C.,' he said. 'But right now we're focused on what NASA has contracted us to do, and that is to deliver Griffin to the surface of the moon.' Matthews said that if NASA indeed made a sharp turn toward Mars, Astrolab could pivot, too. 'We've always considered ourselves to be a multi-planet business,' he said, 'and we would be excited to go to Mars as well.'
New York Times
05-02-2025
- Science
- New York Times
NASA Gave Up a Ride to the Moon. This Startup's Rover Took It.
It's like a confusing game of musical chairs for spacecraft. Originally, the plan was straightforward: NASA wanted to send a rover to look for frozen water near the moon's south pole. It hired a private company, Astrobotic Technology of Pittsburgh, to provide the spacecraft to land the rover on the moon's surface. The space agency's strategy increasingly taps new entrepreneurial space companies to provide faster, cheaper solutions than what the agency could do itself. But then in January last year, Astrobotic's first lunar mission using a smaller lander failed to reach the moon. Then, in July, NASA officials announced that they were canceling the ice-seeking mission known as the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER. NASA's second thoughts about VIPER opened an opportunity for someone else to book that ride to the moon. Just because its cargo was canceled did not mean Astrobotic's journey was off — it remains scheduled for later this year. And on Wednesday, a small startup named Venturi Astrolab Inc. announced it had claimed that opportunity to accelerate its own lunar rover plans. 'We're excited to get actual wheels in the dirt this year and see how all our tech performs,' Jaret Matthews, the chief executive of Astrolab, said in an interview. (Despite the similar names, the two companies are unrelated.) Many people inside and outside of NASA were perplexed by the cancellation of VIPER, because the rover, while over budget and behind schedule, had been completed. It needed just one more round of testing before it would be ready for launch. NASA officials said that instead, the finished rover would be disassembled. In addition, they said NASA would still pay $323 million to Astrobotic. Thus, canceling the mission would save NASA a relatively paltry amount — $84 million — after it had spent about $800 million. For its fee, Astrobotic would conduct the mission as planned, but the lander spacecraft, known as Griffin, would carry a nonfunctional dummy weight instead of VIPER. NASA officials said that for Astrobotic to perform the landing successfully was in itself a valuable exercise, and that the company was free to sell the payload space on Griffin to another customer if it could, replacing the dummy weight. 'We had more than 60 organizations from around the world knock on our door,' said John Thornton, chief executive of Astrobotic. Astrolab, he said, was the best match. 'They could move fast,' Mr. Thornton said. 'They had a payload that matched the interfaces already for the lander.' The rover that Astrolab will fly on this mission is also roughly the same size as VIPER. Mr. Matthews declined to say how much Astrolab was paying Astrobotic. Astrolab is developing a rover the size of a Jeep Wrangler that could autonomously drive cargo or people across the moon's surface. The company calls it FLEX, short for Flexible Logistics and Exploration Rover. FLEX is much too big and heavy to fit on Astrobotic's lander. Astrolab has already booked space for FLEX on a future flight of Starship, the gargantuan spacecraft currently under development by SpaceX, the rocket company founded by Elon Musk. But before sending FLEX to the moon, Astrolab wants to send a smaller, 1,000-pound rover named FLIP — short for FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform — to test technologies like batteries, motors, power systems and communications. A particular goal is studying how to minimize problems caused by particles of lunar dust, which are angular and sharp. The smaller FLIP is the one that Astrobotic's Griffin will take to the moon. Mr. Matthews said FLIP would also carry a couple of commercial payloads that would be announced later. Despite Astrobotic's failure last year, Mr. Matthews said he had confidence in Astrobotic. 'From our perspective, it's actually a way to reduce risk for our subsequent missions,' he said. 'If we didn't have full confidence in Astrobotic, we wouldn't be doing this.' Mr. Thornton said the past year had been one of introspection for the company. 'It's like the old saying, 'Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger,'' he said. 'I think in this case, it really did.' Despite NASA's efforts to kill VIPER, the rover is not dead nor dismantled yet. NASA asked for and received proposals to continue the mission without additional investments from NASA. The agency expects to make a decision this summer. But with the new Trump administration indicating more interest in Mars than the moon, everything could change soon. Mr. Thornton said Astrobotic was not worrying about that possibility yet. 'There's certainly a lot of conversation in D.C.,' he said. 'But right now we're focused on what NASA has contracted us to do, and that is to deliver Griffin to the surface of the moon.' Mr. Matthews said that if NASA indeed made a sharp turn toward Mars, Astrolab could pivot too. 'We've always considered ourselves to be a multi-planet business,' he said, 'and we would be excited to go to Mars as well.'
