AI SpaceFactory and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida have released their design for their proposed 3D-printed lunar outpost called LINA. The company said Thursday design work on LINA is being carried out under NASA’s 2020 Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity project called Relevant Environment Additive Construction Technology. AI SpaceFactory is the previous winner of NASA’s […] More

A Terran Orbital-built satellite was integrated aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket in preparation for a planned launch on Monday, June 27, from a launch complex in New Zealand in support of NASA’s Artemis program. The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, also known as the CAPSTONE satellite, will lift off to test […] More

L3Harris Technologies has been selected to develop the avionics system for rocket boosters Northrop Grumman will manufacture to help NASA send astronauts to the lunar surface. L3Harris said Thursday it will provide avionics to IV-VIII missions under the Artemis program and its technology will be designed to also support the IX booster. Northrop received a […] More

Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin have completed the final ground test of an abort motor for NASA’s Orion lunar crew module at a facility in Promontory, Utah. The engine’s four exhaust nozzles nearly 400,000 pounds of thrust over two seconds, verifying its new insulation and formulation and passing qualification testing, Northrop said Thursday. Three 17-foot […] More

NASA will release a draft solicitation in the coming weeks for a procurement effort to build and demonstrate a lunar lander that would transport astronauts between the lunar orbit and the moon’s surface for missions beyond the Artemis III crewed moon landing mission. The space agency said Wednesday it will conduct a virtual industry day […] More

Advanced Space has completed the fourth operational readiness test of its NASA-funded small satellite that will validate technologies in cislunar space to support future manned missions to the moon. The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment performed mission work at an environment simulating a near rectilinear halo orbit for one week, Advanced […] More

Paragon Space Development will continue to build the life support system for the Habitation and Logistics Outpost – the first crew module of NASA’s Lunar Gateway space station – under a newly finalized contract worth more than $100 million with Northrop Grumman. The HALO Environment Control and Life Support System will help maintain air temperature […] More

An Airbus affiliate has signed a $50 million contract to develop a power system for the crew module Northrop Grumman will build to function as a key component of NASA’s Gateway lunar space station. Crisa, which operates under Airbus’ defense and space division, will produce the power management and distribution technology for integration into the […] More

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is seeking information on space transportation services for future lunar exploration missions and responses to the sources sought are intended to inform upcoming service procurement vehicle. According to the SAM.gov notice, the agency is interested in commercial services for moving astronauts, scientific and architectural payloads and other cargo to establish […] More

A wholly owned subsidiary of Leidos has been awarded an initial $40.8 million contract to help in the development of sustainable human landing system concepts in support of NASA’s lunar exploration transportation services. Under the firm-fixed-price, milestone-based contract, Dynetics will execute risk-reduction activities and deliver feedback on the requirements of the space agency to foster […] More

NASA has awarded a total of $20 million to five small businesses for the continued development of technologies meant to address environmental and risk-based challenges and deliver lunar capabilities in support of Artemis exploration missions. The phase two projects will tackle thermal resilience, thermal control, radiation-tolerant computing avionics, drive actuation and small satellite propulsion under […] More

CAES will deliver mission flight computer and radiation hardened microelectronics to Astrobotic for use on the space robotics company’s Peregrine and Griffin landers scheduled to conduct missions on the Moon in 2022 and 2023. GR712RC is a LEON3FT SPARC V8 flight control processor built by CAES to provide landers with low power, multi-core capability, the […] More