All articles tagged with #clps
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Peregrine mission, the first US moon lander since the Apollo era, is set to launch from Cape Canaveral, aiming for a lunar landing on February 23. This commercial mission by Astrobotic, carrying both NASA instruments and private payloads, marks a significant step in the commercialization of space exploration. The mission is part of NASA's CLPS initiative to deliver scientific equipment to the moon and includes a diverse array of cargo, from scientific instruments to a copy of Wikipedia and even human remains. Despite the high risks associated with lunar landings, the mission's success could pave the way for future lunar exploration and resource utilization.
NASA will hold a media teleconference on November 29 to discuss the science payloads on the first commercial robotic flight to the Moon under the Artemis program. Astrobotic Technologies will launch its Peregrine lander carrying NASA and commercial payloads to the Moon in early 2024. The payloads will investigate the lunar exosphere, thermal properties of the lunar regolith, hydrogen abundances in the soil, magnetic fields, and radiation environment monitoring. This is part of NASA's effort to establish a regular cadence of payload deliveries to the Moon and prepare for future human exploration missions to Mars.