Astrobotic Technology

NASA soon intends to lift the curtain on a whole new strategy of turning to America’s private sector for the launch of a lunar lander.

A privately owned lunar lander slated to fly aboard the first United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket arrived in Florida on Oct. 30 for launch preparations.

The original launch date for IM's Nova-C lunar lander—from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center atop a Falcon 9 rocket—was planned for as soon as mid-November.

The U.S. Space Force will require two missions prior to using the booster for national security space missions for the ULA Vulcan Centaur launcher.

United Launch Alliance plans to modify the Centaur V upper stage of its new Vulcan rocket, likely delaying the booster’s debut flight to late this year.

United Launch Alliance has completed a 6-sec. hot fire of the methane-burning BE-4 engines that power the first stage of its new Vulcan rocket.

Westinghouse Electric Company and Astrobotic have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore development of space nuclear technologies.

More analysis of a Blue Origin BE-4 qualification engine for ULA’s Vulcan rocket program is pushing the booster’s debut flight to no earlier than May 4.