Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic held an event on Monday to reveal its Griffin Mission One (Griffin-1) lunar lander to NASA representatives, government officials, and industry partners.
NASA recently designated the spacecraft as Moon Base II and it is being developed as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative in support of NASA’s Moon Base. Astrobotic is completing final integration activities and the spacecraft is scheduled to launch later this year.
Griffin-1 will deliver the largest commercial payload sent to the Moon and demonstrate it is capable of delivering cargo such as rovers, science instruments, and solar-based power plants.
“When Astrobotic was founded nearly two decades ago, the idea that a team in Pittsburgh could build and fly one of the world’s largest commercial lunar landers felt incredibly ambitious,” John Thornton, Astrobotic CEO, said. “Today, Griffin stands behind us as proof of what is possible when talented people spend years solving hard problems together. This spacecraft represents the transportation and logistics systems that will enable humanity’s long-term future beyond Earth. Seeing Griffin ready for its next phase of testing is a proud moment for our team and an important milestone for NASA’s Moon Base.”
Griffin-1 will be transported to California next week for environmental testing.