A lawsuit backfired badly for moon express:http://spacenews.com/jury-awards-intuitive-machines-4-1-million-in-cash-and-moon-express-equity/This looks bad even not taking the financial implications into account. Apparently they ordered the return vehicle and software from intuitive machines, but one has to wonder what the status of the hard and sofware is after all the fighting, apparently IM stopped work at some point as ME failed to pay. They might not need all of this for the upcoming missions, but I would not expect ME to launch anything soon..
We have a multi-launch contract with Rocket Lab for the MX-1 with maiden flight likely in 2019. MX-2, 5 & 9 are designed for larger launch systems.
Tweet from Moon Express:QuoteWe have a multi-launch contract with Rocket Lab for the MX-1 with maiden flight likely in 2019. MX-2, 5 & 9 are designed for larger launch systems.
Ben Roberts, Moon Express: our first mission should be late next year; depends on customers and launch providers. #NewSpace2018
Roberts: see NASA as an anchor tenant for our landers, but don’t think it will be hard to find others if we get costs low enough. #NewSpace2018
Roberts: we’ll likely use the Electron launches under contract for orbital missions versus lunar landers. That’s based on NASA’s desire to maximize landed mass for its Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. #NewSpace2018
Roberts: regarding spectrum, will ask FCC to consider proposed smallsat licensing process for lunar missions as well. #NewSpace2018
QuoteBen Roberts, Moon Express: our first mission should be late next year; depends on customers and launch providers. #NewSpace2018
Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 06/28/2018 08:46 pmQuoteBen Roberts, Moon Express: our first mission should be late next year; depends on customers and launch providers. #NewSpace2018This would make a good vision statement for MoonEx: "should be late next year"
It was co-founded by Naveen Jain. Hard to think of a bigger red flag than that.
Not sure what else people expect from someone with the track record of Naveen Jain:-https://techcrunch.com/2008/05/29/naveen-jains-intelius-prepares-to-go-public-how-much-of-their-revenue-is-a-scam/https://www.seattletimes.com/business/dot-con-job-how-infospace-took-its-investors-for-a-ride/
https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2018/EPSC2018-349.pdfAlain Berinstain and Bob Richards are still promoting their missions. Whatever people may think of Naveen Jain, they are not the same.
https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2018/EPSC2018-349.pdfExtract website linkQuoteMoon Express has been able to collapse the cost of Lunar missions
Moon Express has been able to collapse the cost of Lunar missions
Quote from: TrevorMonty on 08/21/2018 08:04 amMoon Express has been able to collapse the cost of Lunar missionsNo, they haven't. They've claimed that in the future they will. That's very far from the same thing.The evidence suggests they've burned through their financing or have lost it and are unable to get more financing, so their operations have slowed to a crawl. That indicates they are very unlikely to collapse the cost of lunar missions or do anything else they've claimed they would do.