Astrobotic has announced that its CubeRover-1 lunar rover has successfully completed a series of qualification tests and has been certified as flight-ready. It will travel to the Moon as part of the Griffin-1 mission.
CubeRover-1 is a four-wheeled vehicle the size of a shoebox, powered by solar batteries. It will maintain communication with Earth via the landing module.
To date, Cuberover-1 has undergone a series of industry-standard tests, including thermal vacuum testing to prove that it can operate in space and on the surface of the Moon. CubeRover-1 has also undergone electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic compatibility testing, which ensures that the rover is compatible with the electromagnetic environment, the launch vehicle, and the Griffin landing module.
The rover will be launched to the Moon as part of the Griffin-1 mission. It is scheduled to land in the southern polar region of the Moon. Initially, the main objective of the mission was to deliver the 450-kilogram VIPER rover to the Moon. However, NASA unexpectedly canceled this project last year due to overspending.
Despite this, Astrobotic continued preparations for the mission. VIPER was replaced by the FLIP lunar rover, built by Astrolab. Griffin will also carry several secondary and symbolic payloads, including CubeRover-1. The mission is scheduled for completion at the end of 2025. A Falcon Heavy rocket will be used to launch it.
It should be noted that Astrobotic currently has one lunar mission to its credit. In January 2025, the company sent the Peregrin spacecraft into space. Unfortunately, due to a fuel leak, it was unable to perform the necessary maneuver and entered the Earth’s atmosphere six days after launch.
According to Astrobotic
