Joint mission by Astrobotic and Mission Control showcases lunar rover tech aboard Griffin-1

Joint mission by Astrobotic and Mission Control showcases lunar rover tech aboard Griffin-1
by Staff and Agency Writers
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 09, 2024

Astrobotic and Mission Control have embarked on a collaborative lunar rover demonstration mission. The mission features Astrobotic's CubeRover, designed for traversing multiple kilometers on planetary surfaces, integrated with Mission Control's Spacefarer operations platform. This integrated system will operate aboard Astrobotic's inaugural Griffin lander mission targeting the lunar south pole.

Astrobotic's CubeRover, a modular rover, will be paired with the shoebox-sized Spacefarer software platform, facilitating real-time command and monitoring capabilities for lunar rover operations.

"We are delighted to form this partnership with Astrobotic who are among the forerunners driving the creation of a new lunar economy," said Dr. Samara Pillay, Vice-President of AI and Space Products at Mission Control. "Their trust in licensing our Spacefarer operations platform for a three-year period is an important validation of our value proposition to customers and we look forward to supporting them on many missions to come with this mission-critical technology."

Support for this mission comes from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) through their Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP), which assists Canadian enterprises in forming impactful partnerships with American companies at the forefront of lunar exploration.

"CubeRover's development has been backed by $20+ million in NASA awards and decades of experience. Because it has been engineered alongside Astrobotic's lunar landers, CubeRover can achieve long-range communications and traverse multiple kilometers across the Moon's surface. We're pleased to have Spacefarer aboard this first mission to provide them with as much operations data as possible," Mike Provenzano, Astrobotic's Vice President, Advanced Development Programs, remarked.

The Spacefarer platform, developed under the CSA's Space Technology Development program, is designed to command and monitor a wide array of robotics and advanced payloads. Its intuitive web-based operations platform, user-friendly interfaces, and robust cloud architecture allow for effective operation of robots and payloads anytime and anywhere.

"Having been the first Canadian owned company to participate in a real lunar rover mission, we're thrilled to remain in our leadership position when it comes to lunar rover missions," Ewan Reid, Founder and CEO of Mission Control, stated. "For decades Canada has been an international leader in space robotics and maintaining that position will require a continued expansion of the Canadian industrial base to support what is expected to be a rapidly growing lunar economy."

"This international partnership exemplifies the benefits of a commercial approach to lunar exploration and a validation of the emerging cis-lunar economy," Provenzano explained. "NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative and LEAP are putting North American firms at the forefront of humanity's return to the Moon."

Astrobotic is poised to launch its Griffin lunar lander by the end of 2024, making it one of the pioneering commercial missions to the Moon.