.@Astrolab_Space terrestrial FLIP rover is looking fantastic! These practice tests on Earth will ensure that the lunar FLIP rover seamlessly integrates with and successfully deploys from our Griffin lunar lander when it arrives on the Moon.
Introducing our Earth-based pathfinder version of our FLIP rover! This test rover is being used for extensive testing this summer, validating FLIP’s hardware, systems, and operations before its lunar journey aboard @astrobotic’s lunar mission, Griffin-1.
Astrobotic@astrobotic·The future of living and working on the Moon depends on one thing: power.💡 Our LunaGrid-Lite has cleared its Critical Design Review and is moving toward flight! It will deploy 500m of ultra-light cable across the lunar landscape and transmit 1 kilowatt of power for the first time on the Moon using an Astrobotic CubeRover.🚘Check it out: https://astrobotic.com/lunagrid-lite-completes-critical-design-review-flight-model-underway/
Astrobotic@astrobotic🚀 Astrobotic is heading to Norway! We’re partnering with @AndoyaSpace to launch our reusable Xodiac rockets from Andøya starting in 2026. New site. New capabilities. Same mission: advancing space tech for Earth + beyond. 🌍✨ #SpaceTech
[...] As for SpaceX, they have shown a willingness to change their approach if they see someone else doing something smarter. After all, they were originally trying to do parachute recovery of Falcon 9 stages, but pivoted to powered landing once they saw Masten and Armadillo prove it could be done with small teams.
Quote from: sdsds on 09/10/2025 05:00 pmIs that documented somewhere or is it insider knowledge? It could make a great addition to e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9_first-stage_landing_tests#HistoryWikipedia already includes it.QuoteDragon Spacecraft Qualification UnitAttempted to recover the first stage by parachuting it into the ocean, but it burned up on reentry, before the parachutes could deploy.SpaceX COTS Demo Flight 1Attempted to recover the first stage by parachuting it into the ocean, but it disintegrated upon reentry, again before the parachutes were deployed.
Is that documented somewhere or is it insider knowledge? It could make a great addition to e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9_first-stage_landing_tests#History
Dragon Spacecraft Qualification UnitAttempted to recover the first stage by parachuting it into the ocean, but it burned up on reentry, before the parachutes could deploy.SpaceX COTS Demo Flight 1Attempted to recover the first stage by parachuting it into the ocean, but it disintegrated upon reentry, again before the parachutes were deployed.
Sorry I was referring to the Masten connection. Is there a source saying SpaceX looked at what Masten was doing and decided that made vertical landing a viable approach?
Quote from: sdsds on 09/10/2025 06:16 pmSorry I was referring to the Masten connection. Is there a source saying SpaceX looked at what Masten was doing and decided that made vertical landing a viable approach?Maybe Eric Berger's Reentry?https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1760882700758458409
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and Astrobotic Technology, Inc. today announced a joint development agreement aimed at developing a scalable and integrated power solution for sustained lunar surface missions. The joint feasibility study will explore how the Honda regenerative fuel cell (RFC) system can be integrated with Astrobotic’s Vertical Solar Array Technology (VSAT) and LunaGrid service to provide continuous power, even during prolonged periods of darkness on the Moon.The Honda RFC system, known as a circulative renewable energy system, is designed to continuously produce oxygen, hydrogen, and electricity using solar energy and water. During the lunar day, the RFC system stores solar power as hydrogen and converts it into electricity during the lunar night. After generating electricity, the only byproduct of the fuel cell is water, which is recycled into the Honda high-pressure water electrolysis system to create a closed-loop energy cycle.Astrobotic is creating a scalable power infrastructure service, called LunaGrid, designed to supply sustained lunar surface power for a wide range of lunar missions and customers. A key component of LunaGrid is the Astrobotic VSAT, a solar-powered system that is deployable, self-leveling, and capable of sun tracking for optimal energy capture. Astrobotic is developing a 10 kW VSAT system, along with the Extra-Large Vertical Solar Array Technology (VSAT-XL), which would generate 50 kW of power to support the growing power requirements of planned lunar missions.Feasibility Study Will Integrate the Honda RFC and Astrobotic VSAT SystemsHonda and Astrobotic plan to conduct a feasibility study that will focus on three key objectives: • Conducting detailed illumination studies to assess power generation and storage requirements at different sites where the LunaGrid system will be deployed • Evaluating the scalability of the Honda RFC system for LunaGrid’s use • Assessing hardware and software integration with the Honda RFC and Astrobotic VSAT to define RFC system requirements that ensure reliable operation in future deploymentsA key advantage of the Honda regenerative fuel cell system is its ability to provide continuous power during the lunar night. By integrating the Honda RFC with the Astrobotic VSAT, the combined system could significantly extend power availability beyond the lunar night, which would enable expanded mission capabilities, support a sustained human presence on the Moon, advance lunar surface infrastructure development and power future commercial industries.During the study, Honda and Astrobotic will also simulate one-year solar illumination profiles at various lunar South Pole sites using both the Astrobotic 10 kW and 50 kW VSAT systems. These simulated illumination profiles will determine how much sunlight the VSAT solar panels will receive on the lunar surface to power the water electrolysis during the day, enabling the RFC system to convert the stored hydrogen into electricity throughout the night. Based on the modeled solar energy production, Honda will size its regenerative fuel cell system to meet the energy storage needs of various lunar mission scenarios.
Astrobotic@astroboticHonda + Astrobotic team up to push lunar power forward. We're testing how Honda’s regenerative fuel cell system can integrate with Astrobotic’s LunaGrid & VSAT to provide continuous power, even through the long lunar night.🌙
Astrobotic@astroboticThe 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 @FrontierAero 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'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.
Xodiac-B: Enabling Advanced Propulsion Flight Testing Selected by the U.S. Space Force and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award worth approximately $1.9 million, Astrobotic will design and build Xodiac-B, a fully reusable suborbital hover rocket developed to flight test rotating detonation rocket engines (RDREs) and other small rocket engines. RDREs have the potential to revolutionize in-space and hypersonic vehicle propulsion by leveraging a supersonic detonation wave to produce more efficient combustion. This technology offers exciting benefits, including superior packaging, an improved thrust-to-weight ratio, and a 10-15% improvement in specific impulse over conventional rocket engines. Xodiac-B is based on Astrobotic’s proven Xodiac platform, which has completed more than 170 successful flights since 2015. The new vehicle will serve as a first-of-its-kind reusable testbed for kerosene-fueled RDREs in the 1,000-pound thrust class. It will reach altitudes of up to 500 meters with downrange translation of 300 meters and support deep throttling for complex flight profiles. Xodiac-B will give engine developers a reliable, affordable way to validate next-generation engine designs in-flight, and advance propulsion technologies from the laboratory to operational readiness. Xodiac-C: Enhancing Precision Flight Testing A NASA Phase III SBIR award valued at $1.6 million will fund development, integration, and flight qualification of an upgraded variant of Astrobotic’s Xodiac rocket for entry, descent, and landing (EDL) testing. This enhanced vehicle, dubbed Xodiac-C, will expand Astrobotic’s capabilities for flight testing sensors, algorithms, and hardware in relevant environments. Upgrades will enable longer flights, improved maneuvering, enhanced electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, and a lighter and modular payload bay. Like its Xodiac-A predecessor, Xodiac-C will provide rapid, low-cost access to dynamic flight conditions that cannot be replicated through ground testing. The vehicle incorporates Astrobotic’s Sensei™ hypervisor, which enables third-party guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) systems to command the rocket in flight while Astrobotic’s safety system ensures operational boundaries are maintained. These improvements will assist industry partners in validating technologies critical to future lunar and planetary lander missions. When paired with Astrobotic’s Lunar Surface Proving Ground (LSPG) analog test field, Xodiac-C will provide state of the art, high-fidelity EDL simulation for lunar and planetary lander missions. Xogdor Block 1B: Achieving Suborbital SpaceflightAstrobotic’s largest award, totaling $14 million under a NASA SBIR Phase III contract, will fund upgrades to the Xogdor reusable rocket, advancing it to the Block 1B suborbital variant. This new configuration will expand flight profiles to include suborbital space access above 100 kilometers, microgravity testing, and supersonic flight. The upgraded Xogdor Block 1B vehicle will carry payloads up to 200 kilograms in a 270-liter bay and will be capable of multiple flights per week with minimal refurbishment and little to no ground infrastructure. The upgraded system will include an improved main engine with a spin-start relight capability, active aerodynamic controls, thermal protection, and upgraded radio frequency communications for long-range operations. Building the Future of Reusable Flight Testing Astrobotic has conducted more than 625 reusable rocket flights across 5 vehicles, demonstrating one of the most extensive reusable rocket test records in the industry. Operations at the Mojave Air and Space Port provide flight opportunities for NASA, universities, and commercial developers seeking to mature technologies from early prototypes to flight-ready systems.
