NASA’s Griffin-1 Lunar Lander Passes Critical Tests for Future Moon Base Mission
Voyager Technologies’ Griffin Mission One (Griffin-1), a commercial lunar lander designed to support NASA’s efforts to establish humanity’s first lunar outpost, has completed a series of critical environmental tests at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California.
The testing simulated the extreme temperatures and vacuum of space, along with the intense vibration and deafening acoustic forces of launch. The results indicate that Griffin-1 is ready to withstand the rigors of its planned journey to the Moon.
Griffin-1 Will Deliver Cargo to the Moon’s South Pole
As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and Lunar Base Program, Griffin-1 is scheduled to launch later this year aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
The lander is expected to deliver more than 1,100 pounds (455 kilograms) of cargo to Nobile Crater near the Moon’s south pole. Classified as an infrastructure-class lander, Griffin-1 will carry 10 science and technology demonstrations from six countries.
Its payload will include Astrolab’s FLIP (FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform) rover, described as the largest commercial payload ever delivered to the Moon.
“NASA JPL’s Environmental Test Laboratory has been testing robotic spacecraft since NASA’s first up-close observations of the lunar surface with the Ranger program in the mid-1960s. We are proud to provide the expertise and facilities to support this new phase of commercial lunar exploration,” said Charles Wessel, manager of JPL’s Exploration Systems Development Office.
How NASA Tested the Commercial Lunar Lander
Testing began in July after the 2,789-pound (1,265-kilogram) spacecraft made a transcontinental road trip from Voyager Lunar Systems’ manufacturing facility in Pittsburgh to JPL in the San Gabriel Mountains.
Engineers rotated Griffin-1 on a special table to measure its mass properties. The test helps identify unexpected wobbles and provides essential data for evaluating how the lander will move through space. These measurements are also critical for assessing spacecraft navigation readiness during flight and lunar landing.
Griffin-1 also underwent electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic compatibility testing inside an anechoic chamber. The chamber’s walls are covered with long foam spikes designed to absorb sound and electromagnetic waves, helping engineers verify that the spacecraft’s electronic components will not interfere with one another.
Hundreds of sensors monitored the spacecraft during vibration testing. A shaker table rattled Griffin-1 in three directions with increasingly powerful forces to simulate the lander’s escape from Earth’s atmosphere aboard a massive rocket.
To reproduce the sound pressure of launch, engineers used a giant horn powered by compressed nitrogen gas. The sealed acoustic chamber subjected Griffin-1 to sound levels of up to 153 decibels.
Griffin-1 Endures Extreme Space Temperatures
Environmental testing took place in several JPL cleanroom facilities and culminated in the 25-foot Space Simulator, a thermal vacuum chamber. The facility is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its role in supporting historic missions, including the Ranger, Surveyor, Mariner and Voyager programs.
Dozens of other missions, along with numerous upgrades to JPL’s testing facilities, have followed over the decades, including the Perseverance Mars rover and Europa Clipper.
For approximately two weeks, Griffin-1 was alternately heated to temperatures as high as 167 degrees Fahrenheit (75 degrees Celsius) and cooled to temperatures as low as -148 degrees Fahrenheit (-100 degrees Celsius).
The thermal vacuum test simulated the extreme conditions the lander will face while traveling through the vacuum of space and operating on the lunar surface.
“Griffin-1 is being built for the historic purpose of delivering infrastructure and capabilities to the Moon. The spacecraft’s completion of this rigorous environmental test is a major milestone, as it indicates Griffin-1 is ready for its next extreme journey: a launch through deep space to the Moon’s south pole,” said Voyager Executive Vice President John Thornton.
“This spacecraft represents a new era in commercial lunar exploration, and missions like Griffin-1 are helping to lay the foundation for a lunar base and move sustained lunar exploration from vision to reality.”
What Happens Next for Griffin-1?
After completing its environmental testing at JPL, Griffin-1 returned to the Voyager Lunar Systems facility for final assembly. The next steps are launch preparation and shipment to Cape Canaveral.
The mission is intended to deliver infrastructure, scientific instruments and technology demonstrations to the Moon’s south pole, supporting NASA’s broader efforts to develop sustained lunar exploration and a future lunar base.
Media contact
Melissa Pammer
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
626-314-4928
[email protected]
2026-071
Source: www.nasa.gov