Astrobotic PM1 Advances with Precision Landing Validation as BE-4 Engines Being Integrated on Vulcan Centaur
100-km test flight of Optical Precision Autonomous Landing system aboard King Air B200 twin turboprop confirms functionality 9 km above mountainous northern region of Mojave Desert analogous to lunar surface while providing Astrobotic with data to be utilized for US$79.5M Peregrine Mission 1 to Lacus Mortis (NET Q1 2023) and $320.4M Griffin Mission One to Nobile Crater (NET Nov 2024); Meanwhile Blue Origin working with ULA to complete Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle with BE-4 LNG / LOX (“methalox”) engines at Decatur, Alabama ULA facility
Joint Statement on Lunar Cooperation Activities, signed by ESA Director Aschbacher / NASA Administrator Nelson, outlines Europe contributions – Service Module for Orion, I-HAB and ESPRIT modules for Gateway; At least 3 seats for ESA Astronauts secured in exchange: 2 Astronauts on orbital missions, likely Artemis 4 (NET 2027) & Artemis 5 (NET 2028), 1 on later surface mission TBD; Candidates for Europe Moon Astronauts include Samantha Cristoforetti (IT), Thomas Pesquet (FR), Tim Peake (UK), Alexander Gerst (DE), Matthias Maurer (DE), Luca Parmitano (IT) and Andreas Mogensen (DK)
Potential landing areas for Artemis 3, with crewmembers including the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, to be revealed at media teleconference with NASA officials (L-R) Mark Kirasich, Jacob Bleacher, Sarah Noble and Prasun Desail; Regions are within 6° of MSP, are of scientific interest and contain viable landing sites; Criteria including communication coverage, illumination, and topographical considerations given weight in decision; NASA to outreach to “broader science community” to make final human landing site selection; 