Developed under a NASA SBIR Phase II Extension contract, this delivery marks the culmination of a multiyear contract that funded the development of CubeRover from inception.
CubeRover has been delivered to NASA Kennedy Space Center. Astrobotic team members recently visited NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Swamp Works to deliver CubeRover hardware. Developed under a NASA SBIR Phase II Extension contract, this delivery marks the culmination of a multiyear contract that funded the development of CubeRover from inception.
At NASA KSC, the team drove CubeRover in a large lab simulating the harsh, abrasive nature of the Moon’s dusty surface. Notice the rover’s lean body, used to achieve a low mass to simulate lunar gravity. CubeRover’s Tipping Point contract is set to conclude in Q4 of 2022.
Next, CubeRover is slated to enter a Tech Readiness Level, or TRL, of 7 after final testing in a “dirty” thermal vacuum chamber.
Astrobotic, ‘the Moon company’, was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company develops advanced navigation, operation, and computing systems for spacecraft. The fleet of lunar landers and rovers deliver payloads to the Moon for companies, governments, universities, non-profits, and individuals. To date, Astrobotic has two fully funded lunar lander missions on the books, more than 60 prior and ongoing NASA and commercial technology contracts worth more than $350 million, and a corporate sponsorship with DHL.