Astrobotic Technology has picked United Launch Alliance (ULA) to launch its first moon lander in 2019, the two companies announced last week.
ULA, a joint venture of Boeing [BA] and Lockheed Martin [LMT], will supply an Atlas 5, which John Thornton, Astrobotic’s chief executive officer, called “a proven launch vehicle with a solid track record of success.” The rocket’s specific configuration for the mission has not yet been determined, a ULA spokeswoman said.
During the mission, Astrobotic’s Peregrine Lunar Lander is slated to deliver 35 kilograms (77 pounds) of payload to the moon for governments, companies, universities, non-profits and individuals. Customers include the Mexican space agency, which will provide Latin America’s first scientific instrument to the lunar surface, and Michigan-based Atlas Space Operations, which will provide a laser communications terminal.
The mission is considered a demonstration for Peregrine, which underwent a preliminary design review in November. For later missions, Astrobotic hopes to have the option to increase the lander’s payload to 265 kilograms (584 pounds).
Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Astrobotic aims to create “a Rust Belt-based international gateway to the moon.”