https://www.newswire.com/news/spacex-to-launch-masten-lunar-mission-in-2022-21199972SpaceX to Launch Masten Lunar Mission in 2022Launch to deliver Masten's lunar lander carrying NASA and commercial payloads.PRESS RELEASE UPDATED: AUG 26, 2020 12:34 CDTMasten's XL-1 Lunar LanderMOJAVE, Calif., August 26, 2020 (Newswire.com) - Masten Space Systems announced today that it has selected SpaceX to launch Masten Mission One (MM1). As part of MM1, Masten’s lunar lander will deliver nine NASA-sponsored science and technology demonstration experiments and several commercial payloads to the lunar south pole.“Having SpaceX’s proven launch success behind us is not only great for us, but it’s great for our customers,” said Masten chief executive officer, Sean Mahoney. “We share a common vision with SpaceX, and that makes this more than a partnership. It’s more like a dream team.”Masten’s first mission to the Moon, MM1 is a collaboration with NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Project Office. The Masten XL-1 lunar lander is scheduled to touch down on the lunar south pole in 2022, carrying a suite of NASA-sponsored scientific instruments and various payloads from commercial space customers.“We are thrilled to be launching Masten’s Mission One to the Moon in 2022,” said SpaceX Senior Director of Commercial Sales Stephanie Bednarek. “SpaceX was founded upon the goal of extending humanity’s reach beyond Earth, and it’s exciting to take part in a mission with many partners who share the same vision.”Masten’s additional capacity on its first mission to the Moon provides opportunities for commercial partners to access the resource-rich lunar south pole. If your company is interested in sending a payload to the Moon, you can learn more at www.MastenMoon.com.About Masten Space SystemsMojave, California-based Masten Space Systems wrangles rocket-powered landing from sci-fi into reality, connecting the steps from napkin, to lab, to test site and all the way to the surface of the Moon. For over 15 years, the Masten team has torn down barriers to space, working with partners of all types to create value in the space ecosystem. Masten is the partner of choice for fellow innovators and explorers who are changing how we access and use space, bringing the benefits of space to the benefit of humans here on Earth.About NASA’s CLPS ProgramNASA is working with several American companies to deliver science and technology to the lunar surface through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. These companies of varying sizes will bid on delivering payloads for NASA, including payload integration and operations, launching from Earth and landing on the surface of the Moon. Under the Artemis program, early commercial delivery missions will perform science experiments, test technologies and demonstrate capabilities to help NASA explore the Moon and prepare for human missions.
WE'VE GOT A RIDE! We're thrilled to announce our partnership with @SpaceX to take Masten Mission One (MM1) to the Moon in December 2022. Thanks to @elonmusk, @gwynneshotwell, and the entire SpaceX team!
Based on the design discussed in Masten's 2019 XL-1 payload user's guide, the dry mass and wet mass are 675 kg and 2675 kg. That wet mass would be a challenge for rideshare unless a GTO customer accepts a fairly low insertion orbit or XL-1 is able to reach LLO from LEO.Payload capability is 100 kg and XL-1's longevity is about one lunar day (~12 days).
Quote from: vaporcobra on 08/26/2020 08:28 pmBased on the design discussed in Masten's 2019 XL-1 payload user's guide, the dry mass and wet mass are 675 kg and 2675 kg. That wet mass would be a challenge for rideshare unless a GTO customer accepts a fairly low insertion orbit or XL-1 is able to reach LLO from LEO.Payload capability is 100 kg and XL-1's longevity is about one lunar day (~12 days).F9 should be able to do it and recover booster, but not lot of spare mass for rideshare, maybe odd cubesat or smallsat.
The XL-1 is sized for launch as a secondary or ride-share payload on Falcon 9, Atlas V, or Delta IV launch vehicles.
Does the Masten vehicle need to go straight to TLI, or can it start from GTO?
Masten says December:https://twitter.com/mastenspace/status/1298689977841221633Quote WE'VE GOT A RIDE! We're thrilled to announce our partnership with @SpaceX to take Masten Mission One (MM1) to the Moon in December 2022. Thanks to @elonmusk, @gwynneshotwell, and the entire SpaceX team!
Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 08/26/2020 06:34 pmMasten says December:https://twitter.com/mastenspace/status/1298689977841221633Quote WE'VE GOT A RIDE! We're thrilled to announce our partnership with @SpaceX to take Masten Mission One (MM1) to the Moon in December 2022. Thanks to @elonmusk, @gwynneshotwell, and the entire SpaceX team!Hmm. Masten didn't state what they are going up on. Unlikely to be a stand alone flight with just the Masten CLPS lander. So maybe a rideshare with something else.
Quote from: Zed_Noir on 08/27/2020 12:36 amQuote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 08/26/2020 06:34 pmMasten says December:https://twitter.com/mastenspace/status/1298689977841221633Quote WE'VE GOT A RIDE! We're thrilled to announce our partnership with @SpaceX to take Masten Mission One (MM1) to the Moon in December 2022. Thanks to @elonmusk, @gwynneshotwell, and the entire SpaceX team!Hmm. Masten didn't state what they are going up on. Unlikely to be a stand alone flight with just the Masten CLPS lander. So maybe a rideshare with something else.This is discussed in the mission specific thread.The consensus is that there is room for a much smaller ride sharing payload if the TLI is done by an F9.MM1 is more massive than other Falcon 9 payloads like TESS (362 kg), DSCOVR (570 kg) , and IXPE (292 kg) that have flown (or will fly) without rideharing.Is there any evidence of another mass rideshare on a Heavy?Without that, it seems conclusive MM1 will be at least the primary, if not sole, payload on a dedicated Falcon 9 launch.I think that's much to their benefit.
Hmm. Masten didn't state what they are going up on. Unlikely to be a stand alone flight with just the Masten CLPS lander. So maybe a rideshare with something else.
Quote from: Zed_Noir on 08/27/2020 12:36 amHmm. Masten didn't state what they are going up on. Unlikely to be a stand alone flight with just the Masten CLPS lander. So maybe a rideshare with something else. Any lunar orbiters scheduled to go up in the 2022 time-frame? The best kind of ride-share is one going to the same destination trajectory, after all!
Quote from: Ben the Space Brit on 08/27/2020 10:16 amQuote from: Zed_Noir on 08/27/2020 12:36 amHmm. Masten didn't state what they are going up on. Unlikely to be a stand alone flight with just the Masten CLPS lander. So maybe a rideshare with something else. Any lunar orbiters scheduled to go up in the 2022 time-frame? The best kind of ride-share is one going to the same destination trajectory, after all!KPLO
Quote from: soltasto on 08/27/2020 12:27 pmQuote from: Ben the Space Brit on 08/27/2020 10:16 amQuote from: Zed_Noir on 08/27/2020 12:36 amHmm. Masten didn't state what they are going up on. Unlikely to be a stand alone flight with just the Masten CLPS lander. So maybe a rideshare with something else. Any lunar orbiters scheduled to go up in the 2022 time-frame? The best kind of ride-share is one going to the same destination trajectory, after all!KPLOHowever KPLO is scheduled for July 2022.But the PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission is scheduled for December 2022 on a Falcon 9 to a 676 km high orbit at 98° inclination with a launch mass of 1694 kg from Florida.Does the Falcon 9 upper stage have enough delta-V left to do a TLI burn afterwards?