Latest news with #JustinCyrus
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lunar Outpost to Unveil Latest Lunar Terrain Vehicle at Space Symposium 2025
High-fidelity prototype offers an early look at how astronauts will live and work on the lunar surfaceCOLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lunar Outpost, a leader in planetary mobility and space resource utilization, will unveil the latest prototype of its Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), Lunar Outpost Eagle, at Space Symposium 2025 in Colorado Springs, CO. The debut marks a significant milestone in Lunar Outpost's commitment to advancing lunar exploration and supporting NASA's Artemis campaign, which will establish the first long-term human presence on the Moon. The historic pace at which Lunar Outpost has unveiled its high-fidelity prototype, the fourth vehicle level prototype in less than 12 months, speaks to the notable progress that is being made towards delivering the flight vehicle. Each prototype offers an important chance to learn and adapt ensuring the best quality services to NASA. Eagle provides the essential mobility for Artemis astronauts to travel around the lunar surface for scientific discovery, technology advancement, and to learn how to live and work on another world sustainably as we prepare for human missions to Mars. In 2024, NASA awarded a Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services (LTVS) contract to the Lunar Dawn team, led by Lunar Outpost in collaboration with General Motors, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, MDA Space, and Leidos. Lunar Dawn combines proven robotic and human space exploration heritage, cutting edge technology, and automotive industry strengths to create a true off-road vehicle built for extreme environments. 'Safe and reliable surface mobility is critical to advancing space exploration and powering the cislunar economy,' said Justin Cyrus, CEO of Lunar Outpost. 'The Lunar Outpost Eagle represents a foundational element for building a sustainable human presence on the Moon, enabling necessary access to critical points of interest for the Artemis campaign and commercial partners - paving the way for future exploration of Mars and beyond.' Eagle is designed to dramatically extend the range that both Artemis astronauts and commercial payloads can travel from their landing sites. Ultimately, Eagle will enable astronauts to perform high-priority science investigations on the Moon while also providing commercial services that improve mobility, innovation, and impact within the cislunar economy. 'Every aspect of Eagle serves a scientific purpose and demands innovation,' said AJ Gemer, CTO of Lunar Outpost. 'Drawing on expertise from our rich planetary mobility programs and heritage, including our Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover that landed on the Moon last month, we've built a vehicle that is both capable and hardened to withstand the harsh conditions of space. Beyond its ability to traverse the challenging lunar terrain, Eagle supports various payload requirements, powers advanced instrumentation for experiments, maintains high-bandwidth communication, and more. Ultimately, Eagle embodies the principle that a functional design is a beautiful design, representing the quintessential Space Truck.' Lunar Outpost engineered Eagle to provide Artemis astronauts with a safe and functional experience, featuring a flight deck-forward design for unfettered navigation of the challenging lunar surface. It includes advanced autonomous navigation and operation, with or without astronauts onboard. Its cargo bed is reconfigurable, allowing for the changing of payloads with a robust robotic arm. Notably, Eagle has been engineered not only to survive, but to operate, during the two-week long lunar nights with temperatures down to -280 degrees Fahrenheit––extending mission life from days to years. Eagle will undergo a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) this spring to ensure the vehicle meets NASA's requirements. NASA is anticipated to announce its choice of LTVS provider by the end of the year. Lunar Outpost's drivable LTV prototype will be on display at the Space Symposium April 7-10, 2025, located at BAE Systems Exhibit Center North Hall at MDA Space Booth 1341. The unveiling offers a first look at the future of space mobility and lunar exploration. About Lunar OutpostLunar Outpost is a pioneer in planetary mobility and space resource utilization, developing advanced robotic systems for extreme environments. From enabling the first commercial rover on the Moon to supporting NASA's Lunar Terrain Vehicle project, Lunar Outpost is leading the way toward sustainable lunar infrastructure and a cislunar economy. With multiple missions fully contracted, the company is helping shape the future of space as an extension of the global economy. For more information, visit Media ContactLaunchSquad for Lunar Outpostlo@ A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Intuitive Machines' Athena space craft declared dead after landing sideways in a crater on the moon
A privately owned robotic lander named Athena is no longer working after it landed sideways in a crater near the moon's south pole on Thursday afternoon. Officials at the Houston-based Intuitive Machines, which built and flew the spacecraft to the moon, announced Friday morning that the mission is officially over after Athena missed its planned landing mark by over 800 feet and fell over. 'The mission has concluded and teams are continuing to assess the data collected throughout the mission,' the company said in a statement. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. This was the second lunar landing attempt for Intuitive Machines in the last year. Athena, a 15-foot-tall robotic spacecraft, is almost identical to Odysseus, another Intuitive Machines lander that touched the moon in February 2024. The first commercially operated spacecraft to land on the moon, Odysseus fell over shortly after landing. NASA confirmed that Athena touched down on the moon at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday. During a 4 p.m. ET press conference, Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus said that the team was not sure where Athena landed and that Athena's mission was "off-nominal," an aerospace term for "not-as-expected," meaning the mission might not be fulfilled as originally planned by Intuitive Machines. Athena was set to land on Mons Mouton, a flat-topped mountain about 100 miles from the moon's south pole. If it had been successful, Athena's landing would be the closest landing to the south pole to date. Athena also carried a drill for NASA that aimed to pull and analyze lunar soil to see if there is frozen water and other compounds in the area. Athena was this week's second lunar touchdown for a private U.S. company. SpaceX also tried to launch another mammoth Starship rocket on Thursday but lost contact minutes into the test flight and the spacecraft exploded over Florida, the Associated Press reported. Athena was expected to deploy a rover called the Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP). It's a four-wheel vehicle, built by Colorado-based Lunar Outpost, that would test cellular communications equipment in the area and work to create a 3D map of the moon's surface. If all had gone well, MAPP would have been the first American robotic rover on the moon. 'Lunar Voyage 1 is not just about exploration — it's about proving that private industry can operate, sustain, and create economic value on the moon,' Lunar Outpost CEO Justin Cyrus said in a Feb. 26 statement. 'These historic accomplishments create real-world lunar infrastructure, resource utilization, and planetary mobility — essential steps toward a lasting human presence beyond Earth.' Athena was then supposed to send out a miniature hopper, called Gracie, a small robot designed to search the moon for water. But one of the most essential parts of Athena was NASA's PRIME-1 experiment, a drill designed to dig deep into the moon's surface and search for water ice and analyze soil. According to NASA, this information will 'help scientists better understand lunar resources.' If there is evidence of water, NASA is eager to analyze it in preparation to send more astronauts to the moon as part of the Artemis program, which has a significant goal of training astronauts on the moon as a stepping stone for a mission to send them to Mars. 'The real goal is Mars,' retired NASA astronaut Steven Swanson said about the Artemis program in a 2020 interview. 'We will use the moon as a testbed because Mars is a very difficult mission.' 'As well as Mars, we can also use the moon as a testbed for other things — to see how we can actually gather materials from the moon itself and maybe use that to make our fuel,' he added. Another Texas-based company, Firefly Aerospace, launched its Blue Ghost lander in January and it landed on the moon Sunday morning. This was Firefly Aerospace's first trip to the moon, with help from NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Since landing, Blue Ghost has been sending photos and data from the experiments it's been conducting on the moon. Similar to Athena's plans, the spacecraft has collected samples of the lunar soil.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Intuitive Machines' Athena space craft officially lands on moon for historic water-hunting mission but its status is unclear
A robotic lander named Athena is expected to make its final descent to the moon's south pole on Thursday, making it the second lunar touchdown for a private U.S. company just this week. NASA confirmed that Athena, which was built by Houston-based Intuitive Machines, touched down on the moon at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday. However, it remains unclear where Athena landed specifically and whether it is able to follow through with its mission. Athena was set to land on Mons Mouton, a flat-topped mountain about 100 miles from the moon's south pole. If successful, this would mark the closest landing to the south pole ever. Athena is carrying a drill for NASA that aims to pull and analyze lunar soil to see if there is frozen water and other compounds in the area. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Athena, a 15-foot-tall robotic spacecraft, is almost identical to Odysseus, another lander from Intuitive Machines that touched down on the moon in February 2024. The first commercially operated spacecraft to land on the moon, Odysseus fell over shortly after landing. Should Athena stay upright, it's expected to deploy a rover called the Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP). It's a four-wheel vehicle, built by Colorado-based Lunar Outpost, that will test cellular communications equipment in the area and work to create a 3D map of the moon's surface. If all goes well, MAPP will be the first American robotic rover on the moon. 'Lunar Voyage 1 is not just about exploration — it's about proving that private industry can operate, sustain, and create economic value on the moon,' Lunar Outpost CEO Justin Cyrus said in a Feb. 26 statement. 'These historic accomplishments create real-world lunar infrastructure, resource utilization, and planetary mobility — essential steps toward a lasting human presence beyond Earth.' Athena will then send out a miniature hopper, called Gracie, a small robot designed to search the moon for water. But an essential part of Athena is NASA's PRIME-1 experiment, which includes a drill that is designed to dig deep into the moon's surface and search for water ice and analyze soil. According to NASA, this information will 'help scientists better understand lunar resources.' If there is evidence of water, NASA is eager to analyze it in preparation to send more astronauts to the moon as part of the Artemis program, which has a significant goal of training astronauts on the moon as a stepping stone for a mission to send them to Mars. 'The real goal is Mars,' retired NASA astronaut Steven Swanson said about the Artemis program in a 2020 interview. 'We will use the moon as a testbed because Mars is a very difficult mission.' 'As well as Mars, we can also use the moon as a testbed for other things — to see how we can actually gather materials from the moon itself and maybe use that to make our fuel,' he added. Another Texas-based company, Firefly Aerospace, launched its Blue Ghost lander in January and it landed on the moon Sunday morning. This was Firefly Aerospace's first trip to the moon, with help from NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Since landing, Blue Ghost has been sending photos and data from the experiments it's been conducting on the moon. Similar to Athena's plans, the spacecraft has collected samples of the lunar soil.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Intuitive Machines' Athena lander set to land on moon for historic water-hunting mission
A robotic lander named Athena is expected to make its final descent to the moon's south pole on Thursday, making it the second lunar touchdown for a private U.S. company just this week. Houston-based Intuitive Machines said on X that Athena is expected to touch down on the moon around 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday. NASA will be livestreaming coverage about an hour before Athena is expected to land. Athena is expected to land on Mons Mouton, a flat mountain about 100 miles from the moon's south pole. If successful, this would mark the closest landing to the moon's south pole than any previous spacecraft. Athena is carrying a drill for NASA that aims to pull and analyze lunar soil in the area to see if there is frozen water and other compounds in the area. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Athena, a 15-foot-tall robotic spacecraft, is almost identical to Odysseus, another lander Intuitive Machines that touched down on the moon in February 2024. While Odysseus was the first commercially operated spacecraft to land on the moon, the vehicle fell over shortly after landing. Once Athena successfully lands — and stays upright — it's expected to deploy a rover called the Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP). It's a four-wheel vehicle, built by Colorado-based Lunar Outpost, that will test cellular communications equipment in the area and work to create a 3D map of the moon's surface. If all goes well, MAPP will be the first American robotic rover on the moon. "Lunar Voyage 1 is not just about exploration—it's about proving that private industry can operate, sustain, and create economic value on the moon," Lunar Outpost CEO Justin Cyrus said in a Feb. 28 statement. "These historic accomplishments create real-world lunar infrastructure, resource utilization, and planetary mobility—essential steps toward a lasting human presence beyond Earth." Athena will then send out a miniature hopper, called 'Gracie,' a small spacecraft designed to specifically search the moon for water. But an essential part of Athena is NASA's PRIME-1 experiment, which includes a drill that is designed to dig deep into the moon's surface and search for water ice and analyze soil. According to NASA, this information will 'help scientists better understand lunar resources.' If there is evidence of water, NASA is eager to analyze it in preparation to send more astronauts to the moon as part of the Artemis program, which has a significant goal of training astronauts on the moon as a stepping stone for a mission to send them to Mars. "The real goal is Mars,' retired NASA astronaut Steven Swanson said about the Artemis program in a 2010 interview. 'We will use the moon as a testbed because Mars is a very difficult mission.' "As well as Mars, we can also use the moon as a testbed for other things — to see how we can actually gather materials from the moon itself and maybe use that to make our fuel,' Swanson added. Another Texas-based company, Firefly Aerospace, launched its Blue Ghost lander in January and it landed on the moon Sunday morning. This was Firefly Aerospace's first trip to the moon, with help from NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Since landing, Blue Ghost has been sending photos and data from the experiments it's been taking on the moon. Similar to Athena's plans, the spacecraft has collected samples of the lunar soil.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lego partners with moon rover firm Lunar Outpost for 'future product and surprises'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A new collaboration has Lego getting ready to "blast off" with the help of a company now heading for the moon. The Denmark-based toymaker revealed on Friday (Feb. 28) that it is working with Lunar Outpost, a space robotics and mobility firm headquartered in Colorado. "We're thrilled to announce a literally out-of-this-world new partnership with Lunar Outpost!" the Lego Group wrote on its website. "We are teaming up over a shared love of space, the exploration of space and building ridiculously cool things." Describing the collaboration as "building new frontiers," Lego advised its fans to "keep an eye out for a future product and more than a few surprises along the way." Related: Private Athena moon lander beams home gorgeous views of Earth from space (photos) No further information was shared, other than what is coming is happening "later this year," according to a teaser posted to Lego's Facebook page. The post included a graphic of a Lego spaceman minifigure wearing a white spacesuit and waving on the moon. The toy astronaut's square "bootprints" are seen on the lunar surface. Lunar Outpost shared Lego's post on its own social media accounts but did not offer any more details. On Jan. 15, a commercial lunar lander launched from Earth carrying the United States' first robotic rover designed to explore the moon. The Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP), built by Lunar Outpost, has four specialized wheels and a rocker arm suspension to traverse the difficult terrains found at the moon's south pole. Lunar Outpost's Lunar Voyage 1 mission, of which MAPP is the key component, is expected to demonstrate advanced navigation systems and test the first cellular network on the moon, the latter a project by Nokia. MAPP is scheduled to land on the moon with Houston-based company Intuitive Machines' "Athena" Nova-C lander on Thursday (March 6). "Lunar Voyage 1 is not just about exploration — it's about proving that private industry can operate, sustain, and create economic value on the moon," said Justin Cyrus, chief executive officer of Lunar Outpost, in a statement prior to the launch. "These historic accomplishments create real-world lunar infrastructure, resource utilization, and planetary mobility — essential steps toward a lasting human presence beyond Earth." Related stories: — 'Land' your own Blue Ghost with Firefly's moon lander building blocks set — SpaceX's Starship will fly Lunar Outpost's rover to the moon — Best Lego space sets 2025: NASA sets, spaceships and more To that end, Lunar Outpost is also one of three companies that have been awarded a NASA contract to develop a lunar terrain vehicle (LTV) for the agency's Artemis astronauts to drive on the moon. Working with GM, Goodyear, Leidos and MDA Space, Lunar Outpost's "Eagle" LTV recently completed its first round of NASA tests, where astronauts and engineers interacted with a full-size mockup of the golf cart-sized rover. Other projects by Lunar Outpost include Trailblazer, the flagship mission for the Australian Space Agency, which will demonstrate the end-to-end use of resources on the moon; and MOXIE (Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment), which in 2021 produced oxygen from the Martian atmosphere as part of NASA's Perseverance rover's mission on the Red Planet. Whatever the product is that Lego and Lunar Outpost are planning may build off the toy line's recent focus on real exploration of the moon and Mars. In 2023, Lego released a Technic set based on the Perseverance rover and, a year later, introduced a highly detailed model of NASA's Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV).Other recent Lego kits were based on Artemis program hardware, including the Space Launch System (SLS), the heavy-lift rocket that on its inaugural flight sent four Lego minifigure astronauts (aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft) on a mission around the moon. Follow on Facebook and on X at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
