Conceptual drawing of the Moon Express MX-1 Lander. Credit: Moon Express, Inc.
FROM NASA:
NASA announced Wednesday the selection of three U.S. companies to negotiate no-funds exchanged partnership agreements with the agency to advance lander capabilities that will enable delivery of payloads to the surface of the moon, as well as new science and exploration missions of interest to NASA and scientific and academic communities.
The selected companies are:
- Astrobotic Technology, Inc., Pittsburgh
- Masten Space Systems, Inc., Mojave, Calif.
- Moon Express, Inc., Moffett Field, Calif.
NASA made the selections following a January solicitation for proposals. The agency now will negotiate no-funds exchanged Space Act Agreements with the companies as part of the agency’s Lunar Cargo Transportation and Landing by Soft Touchdown (Lunar CATALYST) initiative. NASA’s contributions for an estimated three-year period may include technical expertise, access to agency test facilities, equipment loans and/or software for lander development and testing. Read more…