Voyager Technologies’ Griffin-1 lunar lander has passed environmental tests at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, showing it can withstand launch and deep-space conditions before a Moon mission later this year.
01Summary
- 01Griffin-1 completed testing at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California ahead of launch later this year.
- 02The lander is expected to fly on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.
- 03It will deliver more than 1,100 pounds (455 kilograms) of cargo to Nobile Crater near the Moon’s South Pole.
- 04The spacecraft carried out vibration, acoustic, electromagnetic and thermal vacuum tests, including exposure to temperatures from 167 F to minus 148 F.
- 05Voyager says Griffin-1 is now back at its facility in Pittsburgh for final assembly before launch-readiness operations and shipment to Cape Canaveral.
02Why it matters
The test results move the lander a step closer to a mission that could support NASA’s plans for a future Moon Base. It also shows commercial spacecraft are taking on a larger role in lunar exploration.
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