Astrobotic

Astrobotic is one step closer to establishing a lunar power grid with the initiation of a summer-long test campaign for their VSAT Optimized for Lunar Traverse (VOLT). VOLT is a specialized lunar rover equipped with a vertical solar array designed to drive across the Moon and harness solar energy to charge lunar surface assets like habitats, rovers, and science instruments at lunar south pole. Learn more: https://buff.ly/3VY1NaU

Welcoming the office of U.S. @Senator Bob Casey to our #Defense #Robotics Coaltion. Titan Robotics, Inc. Qintel ESTAT Actuation Lovelace AI HEBI Robotics Aquatonomy D'ANGELO TECHNOLOGIES, LLC KEF Robotics Near Earth Autonomy Astrobotic Gecko Robotics Carnegie Foundry Accipiter Systems NSIN - National Security Innovation Network Carnegie Robotics Formlogic Jorgen Pedersen #RoboticsFactory

Astrobotic welcomed students to our HQ this week for Carnegie Science Center's Tour Your Future program. Thank you to Moonshot Museum for helping us with some fun hands-on activities with the students!

Join Astrobotic's Vice President of Business Development, Dan Hendrickson, on July 17 at 9am for the "At Your Watts End: Providing Power in Space" panel during American Astronautical Society's Glenn Space Technology Symposium at Case Western Reserve University.

Introducing the first step for harnessing mobile power on the Moon: Astrobotic's VOLT (VSAT Optimized for Lunar Traverse)! Within the VOLT name is VSAT, or Vertical Solar Array Technology. VOLT is essentially a specialized lunar rover equipped with a vertical solar array. It's designed to drive across the Moon, harness solar energy, and charge diverse equipment on the lunar surface.

The commercial space industry aims to push the boundaries of human potential and opening up new frontiers. From satellite launches to space tourism to autonomous lunar missions, this industry is revolutionizing how we explore, communicate, and understand our universe. At Astrobotic, we're proud of our team who work to inspire the next generation to keep reaching for the stars!

Thanks to DARPA Innovation Fellowship for their recent visit to Astrobotic HQ to support their search for innovation to probe existing paradigms, question technological barriers, and push the state of the art in science and technology.

Congratulations to our team in Mojave, CA on the inaugural customer flight using Astrobotic's Lunar Surface Proving Ground (LSPG), a high-fidelity 3D test field that mimics the topography and optical properties of the Moon’s surface. The size of two football fields, LSPG provides a unique simulated lunar surface test site for the 6-12 grade student winners of the TechRise Student Challenge, led by NASA Flight Opportunities and administered by Future Engineers Thirty student teams flew their experiments ranging from LiDAR terrain mapping and lunar crater detection using AI, to water detection using an infrared camera and thermal mapping using sensors. Congrats to these future space-industry professionals!

We've unveiled our Lunar Surface Proving Ground (LSPG) at our facility in Mojave, CA. The approximately 100mx100m high-fidelity 3D test field mimics the topography and optical properties of the Moon’s surface. The LSPG’s terrain is modeled after an actual map of the Moon’s South Pole, generated with Astrobotic's LunaRay simulation and terrain modeling tools. The LSPG test site will be used for a variety of test campaigns, from precise lunar landing technologies like LiDAR scanners and navigation algorithms to lunar rovers and other robotic systems. In addition to providing a realistic lunar topography for spacecraft and rover sensors and systems, this test field can simulate the extreme lighting conditions encountered at the lunar poles. https://buff.ly/3zsCJB2

A key component of the LunaGrid system (a power grid for the Moon) is our Vertical Solar Array Technology (VSAT), a 20 meter tall solar array atop a purpose-built rover the length of a car. This mobile energy capture allows LunaGrid to collect and deliver power where it's needed most.#lunagrid #vsat #PowerTheMoon