ULA Launch in December Will Herald New Era in US Space Program
Kennedy Space Center, FL – NASA’s ambitious plan to deliver over 40 payloads to the moon’s surface through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative marks a significant milestone in lunar exploration.
2024 and 2025 are poised to witness a flurry of lunar activity, heralding a new era of scientific discovery and technological achievement.
The First Steps of CLPS: Setting the Stage for Artemis Missions
The initial payloads scheduled for delivery under the CLPS program are particularly crucial. These will precede the much-anticipated crewed Artemis missions, laying the groundwork for a deeper understanding of the lunar environment. This preparatory step is designed to ensure that subsequent human explorers can operate more effectively on the lunar surface.
First Up: Astrobotic Technology
Among the CLPS providers, Astrobotic Technology stands out, not only for its readiness but also for its pivotal role in this lunar venture. Its Peregrine lander, slated for launch on Christmas Eve aboard the inaugural Mission One, is on course to achieve the first U.S. lunar landing since the Apollo era. If successful, the mid-January landing will be a historic achievement.
First Launch and Landing
The Peregrine lunar lander will be launched on United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) newest rocket booster, the Vulcan. This dual milestone – both the lander’s lunar touchdown and the Vulcan rocket’s maiden flight – adds a dramatic edge to the mission.
Launch Details at a Glance:
- Launch Site: Launch Complex-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
- Launch Date: December 24, 2023
- Mission Duration: 10 days on the lunar surface
- Landing Site: Sinus Viscositatis, near the Gruithuisen Domes
- NASA Payloads: CLPS Astrobotic Peregrine Mission-1 NASA-Provided Lunar Payloads
- Lander Name: Peregrine
- Launch Vehicle: United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket
The Journey of Peregrine
Once Peregrine detaches from the ULA Vulcan rocket, Astrobotic’s Mission Control will guide it to lunar orbit, a journey taking between 17 and 19 days. Peregrine will orbit the moon for up to 39 days before initiating its autonomous descent to the landing site in Sinus Viscositatis.
What’s on Board?
The CLPS flight carries five NASA payloads, aiming to gather crucial data on lunar water molecules, surface and subsurface conditions, and the lunar exosphere. These instruments will also measure radiation and other gases, enhancing our knowledge of solar radiation’s interaction with the moon, providing critical data for future manned missions.
What’s after Mission One?
Following Mission One, an array of missions throughout 2024 and 2025 are lined up:
- 2024:
- Intuitive Machines: Delivering six NASA payloads near the lunar South Pole.
- Astrobotic: Delivering payloads to mid-latitude Gruithuisen Domes and the VIPER rover to the South Pole.
- Firefly Aerospace: Payload delivery to Mare Crisium and other scientific and technological payloads to Reiner Gamma.
- 2025:
- Draper: Science investigations to the Schrödinger Basin, a prominent lunar impact crater on the far side near the South Pole.
- Firefly: Delivering two NASA payloads to the lunar far side and a communications/data relay satellite in lunar orbit, in collaboration with ESA (European Space Agency).
NASA’s CLPS initiative, in collaboration with cutting edge commercial space technologies, represents a monumental step forward in lunar exploration. The successful delivery and operation of these payloads will not only enhance our understanding of the Moon but also pave the way for sustained human presence and exploration beyond Earth’s orbit.
