Astrobotic delays Griffin-1 lander mission to mid-2026

WASHINGTON — Astrobotic Technology says it now plans to launch its large lunar lander carrying a commercial rover no earlier than mid-2026.

The company said in an Oct. 24 statement that its Griffin-1 lander is scheduled to launch no earlier than July 2026. The mission will carry the FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform, or FLIP, rover from Venturi Astrolab, along with several smaller payloads.

Astrobotic had previously said Griffin-1 would launch before the end of 2025 on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy. However, the pace of preparations suggested the mission would not meet that schedule.

The company did not give a reason for the delay. The update noted that the lander is still being assembled and has yet to begin prelaunch environmental testing, testing of the lander’s engines was in progress. “With engine qualification testing underway and critical systems coming online, Griffin-1 is advancing toward the moon,” the company said.

FLIP, the lander’s largest payload, is also still in testing. Astrolab said on social media Oct. 22 that FLIP had begun a two-week thermal vacuum test campaign to evaluate how the rover performs in lunar-like conditions.

Griffin-1 will also carry a smaller rover, CubeRover-1, developed by Astrobotic. The company said in June that CubeRover-1 had completed acceptance testing, though in the Oct. 24 update it added that software testing continues in partnership with Canadian company Mission Control.

Other payloads include a plaque from Nippon Travel Agency, a disc containing a library of documents from Nanofiche and a MoonBox with small artifacts.

Griffin-1’s original primary payload was NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER. NASA awarded Astrobotic a Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) task order for the mission valued at $322 million.

NASA announced in July 2024 that it would cancel VIPER, citing cost overruns and likely delays to the planned November 2025 launch date. NASA said it would retain the CLPS task order with Astrobotic to demonstrate the lander.

After evaluating alternatives for flying VIPER, which has since completed prelaunch testing, NASA announced Sept. 19 that it had awarded a new CLPS task order to Blue Origin to fly VIPER on the second Blue Moon Mark 1 lander. The $190 million award is contingent on a successful landing of the first Blue Moon Mark 1 mission, projected to launch in the next several months.

Even with the delay, Griffin-1 is still expected to launch before VIPER’s new mission. When NASA announced the Blue Origin award, the agency said that lander would launch in late 2027. Astrobotic said it did not compete for the new CLPS task order, citing the compressed schedule and “our commitments to existing customers.” NASA later said Blue Origin was the only company to submit a bid for VIPER.