Tag

Clps

All articles tagged with #clps

space10 days ago•103 min saved

PROMISE on the Moon: NASA weighs sending spare Mars rover to support Artemis

NASA is considering refurbishing the Mars rover PROMISE (Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration) for a lunar mission as part of its Artemis program. The RTG-powered rover would serve as an Earth-based testbed on the Moon (likely near the south pole) to aid lunar outpost development, while other CLPS landers carry NASA science payloads to the surface. If repurposed, PROMISE would complement upcoming lunar assets and help test technologies for future crewed missions.

via Space|

#artemis #clps #moon

space11 days ago•4 min saved

NASA Expands Moon Base with Four More Lander Missions and New Rover Plans

NASA awards nearly $600 million to Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, and Firefly Aerospace to land four additional Moon Base missions by late 2028 under CLPS, delivering three NASA science payloads (SCALPSS, LRA, LETS) to study lunar dust, navigation, and radiation as part of building sustained lunar operations. The agency also previews new opportunities, including the PROMISE rover concept for surface characterization, plus potential demos and a lunar relay constellation to enable broader exploration and future crewed missions.

via NASA (.gov)|

#clps #lunar-lander #moon-base

space-exploration26 days ago•95 min saved

Griffin-1 readies for NASA Moon Base: a multi-payload late-2026 lunar touchdown

Astrobotic unveiled Griffin-1, a larger lunar lander for NASA's Moon Base II under CLPS, aiming for a late-2026 Falcon Heavy launch to deliver 10 payloads from six nations (including BEACON CubeRover and LandCam-X) with four NASA payloads aboard FLIP; integration at Astrobotic and JPL environmental testing are underway before Florida deployment, building on Peregrine to advance Artemis-era plans for a lunar outpost with commercial landers.

via Space|

#astrobotic #clps #moon

business1 month ago•3 min saved

Voyager to Acquire Astrobotic to Accelerate Lunar Infrastructure Plans

Voyager Technologies announced an agreement to acquire Astrobotic for up to $300 million, consisting of $162 million in cash and stock, plus $9 million in assumed debt and up to $129 million in milestone-based earnouts, with closing expected in July pending regulatory approvals. Astrobotic, known for its Peregrine lunar lander (which failed to achieve a landing during NASA’s CLPS mission) and the Griffin program, will continue operating from Pittsburgh as Voyager builds a comprehensive lunar-infrastructure platform. The deal aligns with NASA’s Artemis Moon-base ambitions and maintains ongoing CLPS contracts and Astrobotic’s work on lunar and suborbital technologies, including LunaGrid and reusable vehicles.

via SpaceNews|

#astrobotic #business #clps

space1 month ago•11 min saved

NASA chief looks to mass-produced satellites to speed space science

NASA’s science chief Nicky Fox calls for off-the-shelf, mass-produced satellite buses and “block buys” to accelerate planetary and Solar System missions, arguing cheaper, more numerous missions could boost science while freeing funding by rebalancing the portfolio and leveraging Commercial Lunar Payload Services and other private–public partnerships.

via Ars Technica|

#clps #mass-produced #nasa

technology2 months ago•2 min saved

Endurance Moon Lander Advances Through NASA Vacuum Chamber Tests

Blue Origin completed environmental testing of its uncrewed lunar lander MK1, Endurance, inside NASA's Thermal Vacuum Chamber A to simulate space conditions. The CLPS mission will carry two NASA payloads—the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies and the Laser Retroreflective Array—while validating precision landing, cryogenic propulsion, and autonomous control in support of Artemis and future MK2 crewed missions.

via NASA (.gov)|

#artemis-program #blue-origin #clps

space-policy2 months ago•16 min saved

NASA Raises CLPS Ceiling to Accelerate Moon Base Lander Cadence

NASA plans to raise the maximum value of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services contract from $2.6 billion to $4.2 billion to support a projected surge in robotic lunar landings for Moon Base, with 13 eligible contractors and a goal of ramping up to a monthly landing cadence; the agency expects to award more missions and/or higher-value missions through 2028 and beyond as companies scale production and move toward standardized, build-to-print landers.

via SpaceNews|

#clps #intuitive-machines #lunar-lander

space3 months ago•74 min saved

NASA shelves lunar Gateway to accelerate a Moon base

NASA has paused the planned lunar Gateway space station to focus on surface infrastructure for a sustained Moon presence under Artemis, repurposing Gateway hardware for landers, rovers and habitats. The move aims to accelerate crewed lunar missions with a higher launch cadence and a three‑phase plan to a long‑term Moon base (~$20B), with Artemis II slated for early April, Artemis III targeting 2027 and Artemis IV around 2028, and no Gateway rendezvous for the near-term, though NASA says Gateway could be revisited in the future.

via Space|

#artemis-program #clps #gateway-space-station

space3 months ago•3 min saved

NASA shifts from lunar Gateway to build a surface-based lunar outpost

NASA announced a major pivot in its Artemis program, halting the Lunar Gateway in favor of a three‑phase plan to establish a surface-based lunar base with about $20 billion over seven years. Phase 1 (2026–28) aims for reliable lunar access, tech development, and site surveys at the south pole; Phase 2 (2029–31) adds infrastructure and supports two crewed missions per year; Phase 3 (2032+) targets long‑duration exploration with routine logistics and uncrewed cargo returns. The base would repurpose Gateway elements where possible, introduce new capabilities like MoonFall drones and updated rovers, and requires congressional approval, while international partners remain involved with details still being outlined.

via SpaceNews|

#artemis #clps #gateway

space5 months ago•3 min saved

Artemis CLPS Picks Three Moon Science Probes for Surface Study

NASA selected three new CLPS payloads—EMILIA-3D, LISTER, and SELINE—to land on the Moon by no earlier than 2028. EMILIA-3D will create 3D thermal models of the terrain, LISTER will drill and measure subsurface heat flow, and SELINE will study the lunar radiation environment. These experiments don’t require a fixed landing site and will advance lunar science, exploration safety, and the growing lunar economy by leveraging U.S. industry.

via NASA (.gov)|

#artemis #clps #moon

business5 months ago•3 min saved

GRU Space Opens Moon Hotel Deposits for 2032 Launch

GRU Space is taking deposits up to $1 million for the Moon hotel it plans to launch around 2032, with earlier tests to begin via NASA’s CLPS program in 2029. The project uses inflatable hotel structures and lunar brick technology, aiming to expand from a four-guest first version to larger lunar complexes, backed by investors from SpaceX and Anduril and targeting thrill-seekers and former spaceflight participants alike.

via Gizmodo|

#artemis-program #business #clps

space9 months ago•3 min saved

Blue Origin to land NASA's VIPER rover on the Moon in 2027

NASA awarded Blue Origin a sole-source contract to deliver the VIPER lunar rover to the moon's south pole using the Blue Moon Mark 1 lander, after a competitive process where only Blue Origin submitted a proposal, reviving a previously canceled mission and highlighting the challenges in lunar delivery options.

via SpaceNews|

#blue-origin #clps #lunar-rover

space1 year ago•5 min saved

NASA Details VIPER's Role in Lunar Lander Program

NASA has decided to cancel the VIPER lunar rover mission due to cost and schedule overruns, which would have impacted other missions in the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The cancellation could have led to the termination or delay of up to eight CLPS missions. NASA is exploring alternative options, including partnering with commercial and international entities, to continue the mission. The decision has faced criticism for potentially missing the opportunity to study lunar water ice deposits, crucial for future lunar exploration and commercialization.

via SpaceNews|

#clps #lunar-exploration #nasa

space-exploration2 years ago•2 min saved

"Private Moon Lander Sends First Space Photos"

Intuitive Machines' moon lander Odysseus has transmitted its first photos from space, capturing selfies with Earth in the background shortly after its launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The spacecraft is part of NASA's CLPS initiative and is carrying six NASA experiments and technology demonstrations, along with six private payloads, on its current mission. Odysseus is healthy and communicating with mission control as it heads toward a planned Feb. 22 touchdown attempt, with its engine performing normally. Success on the upcoming landing try would be historic, as no private spacecraft has ever softly touched down on the moon.

via Yahoo News|

#clps #moon-lander #nasa

science-and-technology2 years ago•4 min saved

"NASA's Precision Lunar Tracking: The Power of Simple Technology"

NASA is using Laser Retroreflective Arrays (LRAs) to accurately determine the locations of lunar landers as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Service (CLPS) initiative. LRAs are small, lightweight, and inexpensive devices that reflect laser light, allowing orbiters or landers to locate them on the Moon. These LRAs act as markers for navigation aids and can be used for precision docking and range-finding, even in pitch-dark areas close to permanently shadowed regions near the lunar South Pole. As more LRAs are deployed, our ability to gauge the location of key landers and points of interest on the Moon will improve, aiding in scientific exploration and future human missions.

via NASA|

#clps #laser-retroreflective-arrays #lunar-missions