Foust Forward | Building a space industry in Steel City

John Thornton and others want to ensure that Astrobotic isn’t the only space company in Pittsburgh or the wider region.

Astrobotic lunar lander on track for late 2022 launch

Astrobotic Technology showed off its nearly complete lunar lander it is building for NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program and said the spacecraft remains on schedule to launch this year.

Agile supplies thrusters for Astrobotic, ispace and Masten lunar landers

Agile Space Industries, a Durango, Colorado company focused on in-space chemical propulsion, is additively manufacturing thrusters for robotic lunar landers being built by Astrobotic Technology, ispace and Masten Space Systems.

Masten delays first lunar lander mission

Masten Space Systems is pushing back the launch of its first lunar lander mission by nearly a year, the latest in a series of delays by companies with NASA contracts to transport payloads to the moon.

Astrobotic selects Falcon Heavy to launch NASA’s VIPER lunar rover

Astrobotic has signed a contract with SpaceX for the launch of its Griffin lunar lander, carrying a NASA lunar rover, on a Falcon Heavy in 2023.

Frontier Aerospace wins second propulsion contract from Astrobotic

SAN FRANCISCO – Southern California startup Frontier Aerospace has won contracts to supply propulsion systems for two Astrobotic lunar landers.

Simi Valley, California-based Frontier Aerospace was already building 150-pound and 10-pound t…

ULA’s new rocket Vulcan projected to launch in late 2021

Tory Bruno said he is confident that Vulcan and first customer — Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander —  will be on the launch pad “by the end of next year.”

Frontier Aerospace completes design of Peregrine thrusters

Frontier Aerospace, a small Southern California company, has completed the design of attitude control thrusters it's developing with NASA and Astrobotic Technologies for deep space missions.

Spacebit invites research partners for 2021 lunar missions

Spacebit is inviting university researchers to share data the London-based company plans to obtain from the miniature rovers scheduled to travel to the moon with Astrobotic Technology and Intuitive Machines in 2021.

NASA awards contracts for lunar technologies and ice prospecting payload

NASA has awarded more than $400 million in contracts to both demonstrate technologies needed for future lunar exploration and to send an ice-drilling payload to the south pole of the moon.

Astrobotic wins NASA contract to deliver VIPER lunar rover

NASA has selected Astrobotic to deliver a rover to the surface of the moon in late 2023 to prospect for water ice that could support future human missions.

Pandemic prompts Spacebit to revise strategy, expand staff

The COVID-19 pandemic is prompting Spacebit to rethink some elements of its strategy for building and testing robotic vehicles like the miniature rover scheduled to reach the moon next year.

CLPS companies worry about increased competition for limited contracts

As NASA adds new companies to a commercial lunar landing services program, some existing participants worry its value to them may now be diminished.

Spacebit forms partnership, prepares to send tiny rover to the moon

London-based Spacebit plans to send a rover small enough to explore lava tubes to the moon in 2021 on Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander.

Blue Origin and SpaceX among winners of NASA exploration technology contracts

NASA announced Sept. 27 the award of more than $40 million in contracts to 14 companies, including Blue Origin and SpaceX, to develop technologies that can support NASA’s long-term exploration plans.

Lunar lander failures offer a warning to commercial missions

The apparent failure of an Indian spacecraft to land on the moon this month is providing a reminder to NASA and its commercial partners of the challenges of not only the missions themselves but sharing data on problems they experience.

Commercial lunar lander companies update mission plans

Days after Astrobotic announced its selection of United Launch Alliance to launch its first lunar lander, Japanese lunar lander company ispace says it is modifying its schedule for commercial lunar lander missions.

Apollo’s progeny: Today’s space entrepreneurs still standing on the moonshot’s shoulders

The Apollo program and 1969 moon landing inspired many of the entrepreneurs working to send people and robotic vehicles back to the moon or to pave the way for further space exploration and commerce.

NASA awards contracts to three companies to land payloads on the moon

NASA announced May 31 the award of more than $250 million in contracts to three companies to deliver NASA payloads to the lunar surface by 2021.

Companies skeptical commercial lunar landers can fly NASA payloads this year

As NASA selects payloads it plans to fly on commercial lunar landers, companies developing those spacecraft are skeptical any landers will be ready to fly this year, as the agency desires.