Voyager's Griffin-1 Lander Clears JPL Stress Tests for 455-Kilogram Moon Delivery
The spacecraft survived vibration and thermal trials in California, preparing to transport Astrolab's rover to the lunar south pole later this year.
By Olga Kaur ·
Voyager Technologies’ Griffin-1 lander has finished a series of grueling environmental tests at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The robotic spacecraft is now cleared to proceed toward its scheduled launch later this year. Engineers in Southern California subjected the vehicle to conditions mimicking the journey to the moon, including intense vibration, extreme temperatures, and loud acoustic noise.
JPL confirmed the lander passed the full suite of trials. A photograph dated August 31 shows the craft inside the laboratory's 25-foot-wide space simulator. The testing validates the vehicle's ability to withstand the physical stresses of launch and landing.
Griffin-1 operates under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. Its primary task is delivering more than 1,100 pounds of cargo to a site near the lunar south pole. The payload consists of science experiments and new technologies intended for surface operations.
A key component of the cargo is the FLIP rover, built by Astrolab. This robot will traverse the terrain while carrying a supercomputer. The mission aims to test these systems in a harsh environment before human astronauts arrive.
Charles Whetsel, manager of the Exploration Systems Development Office at JPL, stated that the facility has supported robotic explorers since the Ranger program of the mid-1960s. "We're proud to provide our expertise and facilities to support this new phase of commercial lunar exploration," he said.
The Griffin-1 mission is a step toward NASA's goal of establishing a crewed moon base near the south pole. That infrastructure is targeted for development within the next five years.
Source: Space.com
