Astrobotic Breaks Records for Hot Firing Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE) Astrobotic 2026-04-23 | Astrobotic today announced the successful hot fire test of its Chakram rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Two Chakram engine prototypes completed eight successful hot-fire tests, accumulating more than 470 seconds of total run time without any discernible damage to the engine hardware. The campaign included a 300-second continuous burn, which is now believed to have set the record for longest duration hot firing of an RDRE engine to date. During testing, each engine produced more than 4,000 pounds of thrust, making Chakram one of the most powerful RDREs ever demonstrated.
Griffin-1 Hot Fire Engine Test 2025 Astrobotic 2025-12-04 | The Astrobotic team recently completed a series of successful hot-fire tests using a flight-representative replica of Griffin-1’s full propulsion system. Throughout the test campaign, the main engines supplied by Frontier Aerospace fired 229 pulses. These tests validated engine performance and delivered essential data using firing profiles representative of actual flight conditions. Griffin’s propulsion system uses a hypergolic bipropellant architecture with two fuel tanks and two oxidizer tanks, all pressure-fed by three helium pressurant tanks. During key mission phases, both the main engines and the attitude control system (ACS) thrusters will fire in pulsed modes to achieve maneuvers like the powered descent to the lunar surface. These critical tests were carried out at Exquadrum, Inc.'s FORGE testing facility, located at Southern California Logistics Airport. Watching Griffin’s engines ignite is an exciting step forward in bringing this infrastructure-class lander online for the nation.
Peregrine Mission One: Review Board Telecon Astrobotic 2024-08-27 | Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One (PM1) journeyed through space from January 8, 2024, until January 18, 2024. Following PM1’s conclusion, Astrobotic formed an investigative team and review board composed of external experts to analyze the mission. The board was chaired by Dr. John Horack, an independent third-party investigator and the Neil Armstrong Chair at Ohio State University.In the spirit of increasing the likelihood of future mission success for all, Astrobotic hosted this telecon and published a post-mission report. The report begins with an overview of the mission, anomaly findings, and a path forward; it ends with a more detailed account of Peregrine’s entire journey, from launch to mission end: astrobotic.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PM1_Post-Mission-Report_Website.pdf
Behind-the-Scenes: Astrobotics VOLT (VSAT for Lunar Traverse) Development & Test Campaign Astrobotic 2024-07-16 | Astrobotic is one step closer to establishing a lunar power grid with the initiation of a summer-long test campaign for their VSAT Optimized for Lunar Traverse (VOLT).
Astrobotic Debuts Moonscape for Testing! Astrobotic 2024-06-25 | Astrobotic announced the unveiling of its Lunar Surface Proving Ground (LSPG) at its facility in Mojave, CA. The approximately 100mx100m high-fidelity 3D test field mimics the topography and optical properties of the Moon’s surface.The LSPG’s terrain is modeled after an actual map of the Moon’s South Pole, scanned by Astrobotic’s LunaRay system. The LSPG test site will be used for a variety of test campaigns, from precise lunar landing technologies like LiDAR scanners and navigation algorithms to lunar rovers and other robotic systems. In addition to providing a realistic lunar topography for spacecraft and rover sensors and systems, this test field can simulate the extreme lighting conditions encountered at the lunar poles. The LSPG debuted as the test site for several winning teams of NASA’s 2023-2024 TechRise Student Challenge, sponsored by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program and administered by Future Engineers. Thirty winning teams of 6-12 grade students from across the U.S. will fly their experiments aboard Xodiac, Astrobotic’s vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing (VTVL) reusable rocket, over the LSPG as the culmination of their work this school year. Thirty student teams grades 6-12 flew their experiments ranging from LiDAR terrain mapping and lunar crater detection using AI, to water detection using an infrared camera and thermal mapping using sensors.
Xodiac Night Flight 2024 Astrobotic 2024-03-20 | Xodiac Rocket Preps for NASA’s TechLeap Challenge with A Nighttime Flight. Astrobotic’s Propulsion & Test department flew Xodiac, a vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing (VTVL) reusable terrestrial rocket, for its first night flight since the former Masten Space Systems was acquired by Astrobotic in 2022. The tethered night test prepared Xodiac for upcoming flight testing with the NASA TechLeap Prize’s Nighttime Precision Landing Challenge, managed by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program. TechLeap is designed to rapidly identify and develop technologies of interest to the agency using a series of challenges, and the Nighttime Precision Landing Challenge will test the ability of three winning payloads to map a lunar surface for navigation in near-total darkness. Flight tests are slated to begin in April, continuing Xodiac's flight heritage of over 160 successful flights. The Nighttime Precision Landing Challenge flights will also mark the debut of Astrobotic’s Lunar Surface Proving Ground (LSPG), a high-fidelity 3D test field that will mimic the topography and optical properties of the Moon’s surface. The size of two football fields, the LSPG will provide a unique simulated lunar topography to enhance the realism of payload flight tests aboard Xodiac.
Xodiac Takes Flight - Tests UCF’s Ejecta STORM laser Astrobotic 2023-10-10 | Astrobotic successfully completed a flight test campaign for the University of Central Florida (UCF) last week at the company’s facility in Mojave, CA. The campaign consisted of four flights aboard Astrobotic’s Xodiac vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing (VTVL) rocket to test UCF’s Ejecta STORM laser sensor, which was developed by Dr. Phil Metzger to study plume-surface interactions (PSI) between a rocket plume and lunar regolith. The dust cloud you see in this video is lunar regolith simulant designed to simulate ejecta during a lunar landing.This test campaign will provide valuable data for researchers, including Dr. Metzger, as they seek to better understand PSI for humanity’s return to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis program.
Griffin lunar lander takes a test drive with NASAs VIPER Astrobotic 2022-07-13 | NASA’s VIPER team practiced driving the rover down Griffin’s sizeable ramps to mimic safely egressing onto the lunar surface. Griffin’s ramps were positioned in a range of average and worst-case inclines up to 33 degrees to thoroughly test how VIPER could exit the lander. To put this in perspective, Pittsburgh’s steepest residential street, Canton Avenue, is estimated to be a 29 degree slope.
Interview with an Avionics Spacecraft Engineer Astrobotic 2022-03-31 | This young engineer, Victoria Dulla, led a team that designed an entire avionics system from scratch. Hear her story!This avionics system will control Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander, heading to the Moon in 2022. It will carry a diverse suite of scientific instruments, technologies, mementos, and other payloads (cargo) from six different countries, dozens of science teams, and hundreds of individuals.
Spacecraft Avionics - Peregrine lunar lander Astrobotic 2022-03-30 | Interview with an Astrobotic spacecraft engineer about the Peregrine lunar lander's avionics. These electronics control the lander and were created entirely from scratch, with the ability to adapt to vastly different spacecraft. Peregrine's thermal avionics have just been successfully integrated with its decks. The spacecraft will be the first commercial lunar lander to touchdown on the Moon since the Apollo missions, and will launch in 2022.
Griffins Lunar Lander Test Model Complete Astrobotic 2022-02-17 | A major Griffin program milestone is complete for Astrobotic. The Structural test Model, or STM, is now headed to environmental testing.Astrobotic’s second lunar lander mission, Griffin Mission One (GM1), has reached a major milestone in the program by completing its Griffin Structural STM. This full-scale model will undergo a series of rigorous tests to inform the final flight build of the Griffin lunar lander. After launching into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, Griffin will deliver VIPER to the lunar surface in late 2023 as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), under the umbrella of the Artemis program.
DroneTesting Astrobotic AstroNav Software in Alaska Astrobotic 2021-08-18 | One Step Closer to Mapping Icy Moons Like Europa, Enceladus - Astrobotic tested AstroNav in Alaska to demonstrate precision landing and hazard detection on icy moons in the outer solar system
NASA JSC Receives Griffin Lunar Lander Model for Rover Testing Astrobotic 2021-03-18 | After being transported more than 1,300 miles, Astrobotic’s Griffin Lander Analog Model (GLAM) arrived at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) early this month. This model is an analog prototype of the Griffin lander that will deliver NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) to the Moon in 2023.Astrobotic designed and constructed the GLAM at their “Moon Base” headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA. NASA JSC will use a VIPER prototype to test drive down the GLAM’s ramps, ensuring the rover can easily maneuver across the ramp’s angles and surfaces. GLAM is the first full-scale prototype that will endure hands-on hardware evaluations at NASA JSC.
Updates for Griffin Mission One (carrying NASAs VIPER payload), 2.16.2021 Astrobotic 2021-02-16 | Astrobotic's Mission Director talks about updates for the Griffin/VIPER Mission.
CubeRover Mobility Testing at NASA Kennedy Space Center Astrobotic 2020-12-17 | 150 successful mobility tests with 11 sets of wheels were performed in an area mimicking the lunar surface.
Wireless Charging on the Moon Astrobotic 2020-11-17 | Astrobotic Wins $5.8 million NASA Tipping Point contract to develop wireless charging on the Moon. Astrobotic, WiBotic, Bosch, University of Washington, NASA GRC will work together to develop Wireless Ultra-Fast Proximity Charging for critical space applications.
Astrobotic Sends First Lunar CubeRover to NASA Astrobotic 2020-10-01 | After three years of intensive engineering work, Astrobotic’s CubeRover is on its way to Kennedy Space Center. The CubeRover is designed to provide an affordable mobile outlet for scientific instruments and other payloads to operate on the surface of the Moon. The rover is also designed to be integrated onto multiple lunar landers for voyages to the Moon, facilitating its inclusion on a wide variety of future space missions.
Astrobotic tests GPS-denied aerial navigation technologies at volcanic field site Astrobotic 2018-09-18 | As America prepares to return to the surface of the Moon, Astrobotic Technology is partnering with scientists from the RIS4E node of NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI), led by Stony Brook University, to demonstrate the robotic technologies needed to explore and study our nearest neighbor’s most interesting and challenging destinations.Under a research contract with NASA, Astrobotic has developed a custom navigation software product, known as AstroNav, to give small free-flying spacecraft the ability to autonomously explore lunar lava tubes. Meanwhile, SSERVI researchers have been working to analyze the capabilities of compact and deployable instruments needed to collect and characterize geologic samples in the field. Advances in both areas are paving the way for future missions that are far more dynamic and autonomous than those possible today.astrobotic.com/technologyhttps://ris4e.labs.stonybrook.edu
Astrobotic Lunar Mission Profile on Atlas V Astrobotic 2017-08-14 | Astrobotic and United Launch Alliance (ULA) proudly announce that Astrobotic’s Peregrine Lunar Lander will be onboard a ULA Vulcan Centaur in 2022.
Lunar South Pole - LOLA - Light Render Astrobotic 2017-06-19 | The video shows an example time-lapse of the lunar South Pole, centered at -90°S and extending out to -75°S. The left side shows actual imagery captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, while the middle of the video shows an AVOI-rendered time-lapse. The right side shows an AVOI map of areas within line-of-sight to the Earth. The shadows in the left and middle videos match spatially and temporally, demonstrating AVOI’s ability to accurately predict illumination conditions.
If We Colonize the Moon, This Company Wants to Ship Our Stuff Astrobotic 2017-05-25 | Imagine a delivery service that promised to drop your package within five miles of your house, but couldn’t tell you exactly where until after the delivery had happened. That’s how landing on the moon has historically worked, and it’s a problem Astrobotics knows how to fix. The company’s unique GPS system allows it to land spacecraft within meters—rather than kilometers—of the intended target. That might not matter much now, but it will when moon colonizers need fresh supplies from their home planet. Production company Freethink documents the work of Astrobotics in this episode from the series The New Space Race.The Short Film Showcase spotlights exceptional short videos created by filmmakers from around the web and selected by National Geographic editors. We look for work that affirms National Geographic's belief in the power of science, exploration, and storytelling to change the world. The filmmakers created the content presented, and the opinions expressed are their own, not those of National Geographic Partners. Know of a great short film that should be part of our Showcase? Email sfs@natgeo.com to submit a video for consideration. See more from National Geographic's Short Film Showcase at documentary.com#shortfilmshowcase @natgeoVideo by National Geographic - Short Film Showcase
