posted 12-05-2013 08:33 PM               

Moon Express Unveils Breakthrough 'MX-1' Commercial Lunar Lander

Moon Express, Inc., a privately funded lunar resources company, unveiled its "MX-1" lunar lander spacecraft today (Dec. 5) as a breakthrough robotic space vehicle capable of a multitude of applications including delivering scientific and commercial payloads to the Moon at a fraction of the cost of conventional approaches. The spacecraft design was unveiled today at the closing session of Autodesk University in Las Vegas in front of an audience of over 10,000 attendees.

The MX-1 synthesizes proprietary robotic technologies, advanced micro-avionics, and a unique toroidal structure to produce a "green" robotic spacecraft that is powered by sunlight and uses hydrogen peroxide as rocket fuel. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an oxygen enriched water compound commonly found in nature and biological systems. With the recent discovery of water on the Moon, the MX-1 has a potential source of rocket fuel on the lunar surface, a scenario that would be a game changer in the economics of lunar resources and solar system exploration.

"The spacecraft rockets use a high test version of the consumer level hydrogen peroxide widely available in drug stores," said Tim Pickens, Chief Propulsion Engineer at Moon Express and former propulsion lead for SpaceShipOne. "We're developing three new rocket engines at our Propulsion Development and Test Facilities in Huntsville and benefiting greatly from new advances in digital 3D design and fabrication tools."

The main MX-1 rocket engine is a dual mode bi-propellant system that also uses kerosene as an after burner to give the spacecraft the punch to break out of Earth orbit, accelerate to faster than a bullet, travel a million miles to beyond the Moon, and come back to break to zero velocity using its outboard thrusters as it touches the lunar surface. The spacecraft is designed to ride to Earth orbit on low cost secondary payload opportunities aboard commercial launchers like the SpaceX Falcon 9 that are radically reducing the cost of access to space.

About the size of a large coffee table, the MX-1 is a completely self-contained single stage spacecraft that can reach the surface of the Moon from a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) commonly used to place communications satellites above the Earth. It is also designed to be a flexible spacecraft platform that can support a number of applications including serving as a flexible, agile upper stage for existing launch systems enabling Earth orbit cubesat deployment, satellite servicing, and "space tug" applications such as cleaning up space debris.

"The MX-1 is not just a lunar lander, it is a spacecraft workhorse with many markets," said Moon Express Co-founder & CEO Bob Richards. "The MX-1 is the 'iPhone of space'; a platform capable of supporting many apps including our core plan of exploring the Moon for resources of benefit to humanity."

Moon Express is introducing the MX-1 as the first of a series of robotic space vehicles based on a scalable patent pending design to operate in Earth orbit and deep space destinations. Moon Express will utilize the MX-1 in its maiden technology demonstrator flight in 2015, delivering a number of commercial and government payloads to the Moon and pursuing the $30M Google Lunar XPRIZE.

Moon Express engineers have combined the latest exponential technologies in micro-avionics with advanced propulsion and materials to create an innovative approach to spacecraft design and fabrication, empowered by leading edge Autodesk digital design tools to help make the impossible possible and reach for the Moon.

posted 01-22-2015 12:41 PM               

Moon Express Signs Agreement for Historic Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 36

Historic Cape Canaveral SLC-36 will now be central to Moon Express' commercial efforts to reach the Moon.

Moon Express, Inc. (MoonEx) announced with Space Florida today that it has signed an agreement to begin using the historic Space Launch Complex 36 (SLC-36) at Cape Canaveral for its lunar lander development and flight test operations.

SLC-36 is a launch complex at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Brevard County, Florida, that was used for Atlas launches from 1962 until 2005 with a total of 145 launches, including those that sent Surveyors to the Moon, Mariners to Mars and Pioneers to Jupiter, Saturn and beyond. The complex was decommissioned in 2007. In March 2010, the USAF 45th Space Wing issued Real Property Licenses to Space Florida for SLC-36 under a plan to make the facility available to commercial players.

Moon Express and Space Florida have signed an agreement that will lead to Moon Express spacecraft development and flight test operations at SLC-36 starting early this year. The agreement allows Moon Express and the state of Florida to make investments into the refurbishment of SLC-36, leading to a revitalized range and the immediate creation of 25-50 new jobs and potentially hundreds of direct and indirect new jobs over the next 5 years. Moon Express will be making an initial capital investment of up to $500K into SLC-36, which will allow initial operations to transfer over from the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility where the company's MTV-1X vehicle has been undergoing flight testing in partnership with NASA under the Lunar CATALYST program. It is anticipated that capital investments will grow into the millions, some of which may become eligible for reimbursement through the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) matching funds program.

"This historic site, from which U.S. lunar exploration began, is beginning a new mission as a commercial facility that will help take us back to the Moon," said Space Florida President Frank DiBello. "We are proud to partner with Moon Express on the development of SLC-36 and a new generation of exploration technologies in Florida."

Moon Express plans to send a series of robotic spacecraft to the Moon for ongoing exploration and commercial development. The company has explained that its opportunity is driven by exponential advances in technology that have brought complex systems and missions within reach of private enterprise. Moon Express is pursuing a long-term vision of exploring and unlocking the value of lunar resources, while developing innovative spacecraft designed to introduce new cost effective access to space beyond Earth orbit, including the Moon, the asteroids and the moon of Mars.

"We are honored to have an opportunity to establish permanent operations at Cape Canaveral SLC-36, at the place where the U.S. first went to the Moon," said Bob Richards, Moon Express co-founder and CEO. "The Moon is rising again in Florida thanks to the unequivocal support of Space Florida, NASA and the USAF 45th Space Wing in helping us create a home for manufacturing, integrating and testing our lunar lander test vehicles and spacecraft."

posted 10-01-2015 02:39 PM               

Moon Express signs historic launch agreement for private missions to the Moon

Company contracts Rocket Lab for three launches starting in 2017

Moon Express, Inc. is one step closer to becoming the first private company to land a spacecraft on the Moon. The company today announced it signed a contract with Rocket Lab on Sept. 30 to launch three Moon Express robotic spacecraft to land on the Moon starting in 2017. Moon Express is the first company in history to secure such a contract.

"Our goal is to blaze a trail to the Moon to unlock its mysteries and resources so we can improve life on Earth," said Moon Express Co-Founder and CEO Bob Richards, who made the announcement at the Space Technology & Investment Forum in San Francisco. "We are thrilled to have this contract in place with Rocket Lab and to work with them in fulfilling our dream of providing low-cost missions to the Moon for science and commerce."

Moon Express Co-Founder and Chairman Naveen Jain added: "Moon Express is building disruptive technologies that will forever change the cost of access to space, including the asteroids and even the moons of Mars. We are now taking advantage of exponential technology like 3D printing and inexpensive sensors to collapse the capital needed to access the Moon. Coupling these technological advancements with today's news about the Rocket Lab launch contract is a huge step forward for us in opening whole new markets for space exploration."

Under the launch services contract, Rocket Lab will use its Electron rocket system to launch three missions of Moon Express' MX-1 lunar lander spacecraft. The MX family of flexible, scalable spacecraft/landers are capable of reaching the lunar surface from Earth orbit on direct or low-energy trajectories. The breakthrough robotic space vehicle offers multiple applications, including delivery of scientific and commercial payloads to the Moon at a fraction of the cost of conventional approaches.

Two launches of MX-1 have been manifested with Rocket Lab for 2017, with the third to be scheduled at a later date. Moon Express has the option of launching from Rocket Lab's private launch range in New Zealand or from an American range.

"Rocket Lab is pleased to begin working with Moon Express to launch its spacecraft and to provide support to such an ambitious mission. Moon Express has used advanced orbital mechanics to enable this mission from low-Earth orbit," said Peter Beck, Rocket Lab CEO. "The new contract with Moon Express shows the broad market demand for Rocket Lab's affordable, high-frequency Electron launch vehicle."

Moon Express, which is focused on building a sustainable, full-service space exploration business, is also pursuing the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE, a competition to land a privately funded spacecraft on the Moon, travel 500 meters and transmit back high-definition video and images to Earth. The company was awarded $1 million by Google (GOOG) earlier this year as the only team to flight test a prototype of its lander.

posted 07-12-2016 05:34 PM               

Moon Express Announces New Home at Historic Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complexes 17 & 18

Former Delta II Launch Complex will be home to Moon Express' commercial efforts to reach the Moon

Moon Express, Inc. (MoonEx) announced today that it has reached an agreement with the U.S. Air Force 45th Wing to license the historic Space Launch Complexes 17 and 18 at Cape Canaveral for its lunar lander development and flight test operations. The announcement was made by company founder & CEO Bob Richards in a keynote address to over 300 attendees at the National Space Club Florida Committee luncheon today.

The new arrangement for Launch Complexes 17 and 18 under the USAF 45th Wing will allow for Moon Express growth and expansion of its business and technical operations. Moon Express previously occupied Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 36A under an agreement established with Space Florida in January 2015.

"We are honored to be residents at Cape Canaveral and look forward to our expanded presence," remarked Moon Express co-founder and CEO, Bob Richards. "The Moon is rising again over the space coast thanks to the unequivocal support of the USAF 45th Space Wing, Space Florida, and the NASA Kennedy Space Center, in helping us create a vibrant home for Moon Express manufacturing, integration and testing of our lunar lander vehicles and spacecraft."

The State of Florida has approved contributing up to $1.85 million toward improving the facilities on a matching funds basis to Moon Express investments. Launch Complex 17 is the former home of Delta II rockets. Among the major NASA missions launched from the complex were the Explorer and Pioneer space probes, and the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Launch Complex 18 was the site of the first attempts by the U.S. to launch a satellite into orbit.

Moon Express and State of Florida investments into the refurbishment of Launch Complex 17 will revitalize the range, which has been dormant since the last launch in September 2011 of the GRAIL probes to the Moon, as well as enable the immediate creation of 25-50 new jobs and potentially hundreds of direct and indirect new jobs over the next 5 years.

Space Florida, the State of Florida's aerospace economic development agency, has been instrumental in attracting Moon Express to the Florida space coast and facilitating its Cape Canaveral presence and expansion. "We are proud to continue our partnership with Moon Express in the development of Launch Complexes 17 and 18 and a new generation of exploration technologies in Florida," said Space Florida President Frank DiBello. "With joint investments by Moon Express and the State of Florida, these historic launch sites are now beginning a new mission as commercial facilities that will help take the United States back to the surface of the Moon."

Moon Express will use innovative low cost robotic spacecraft to collapse the cost of exploring the Moon for scientific and commercial purposes, with a long-term vision of exploring and unlocking the value of lunar resources. Last October the company announced a contract with Rocket Lab USA for three 'Electron' launch vehicles, beginning with a maiden mission next year in 2017.

posted 08-03-2016 08:45 AM               

Moon Express is first company to gain US approval to land on moon

For the first time in history, a company has been granted permission by the United States government to land a robotic spacecraft on the moon.

Moon Express, a commercial lunar resources and services firm based in Mountain View, California, got the green light to pursue its planned, privately-funded moon mission after consulting with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the White House, the State Department and NASA.

"The Moon Express 2017 mission approval is a landmark decision by the U.S government," said Bob Richards, co-founder and CEO of Moon Express. "We are now free to set sail as explorers to Earth's eighth continent, the moon, seeking new knowledge and resources to expand Earth's economic sphere for the benefit of all humanity."

posted 08-03-2016 08:47 AM               

Moon Express Payload Review Determination

On April 8, 2016, Moon Express, Inc. submitted a request to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for a Payload Review and Determination on the MX-1E spacecraft. On April 21, 2016, the FAA accepted this application and proceeded with review.

The MX-1E is a spacecraft/lander capable of transfer from Earth orbit to the Moon, making a soft landing on the lunar surface, and performing post-landing relocations through propulsive "hops."

On July 20, 2016, the FAA made a favorable payload determination for the Moon Express MX-1E mission. The FAA has determined that the launch of the payload does not jeopardize public health and safety, safety of property, U.S. national security or foreign policy interests, or international obligations of the United States. As long as none of the information provided to the FAA changes in a material manner and the FAA does not become aware of any issues the review did not consider that could affect the determination, the FAA considers this determination final. Additionally, if a launch operator applies to the FAA for a license to launch a vehicle carrying the MX-1E payload, the favorable payload determination will be incorporated in our review of the license application.

The FAA's authority to make payload determinations is derived from 51 U.S.C. 50904. The FAA's regulatory requirements for payload reviews is outlined in 14 CFR §415, Subpart D.

A payload review may be conducted as part of a license application review or a payload owner or operator may request it in advance of or apart from a license application. The FAA consults with other agencies to determine whether the launch of a proposed payload or payload class would present any issues affecting public health and safety, safety of property, U.S. national security or foreign policy interests, or international obligations of the United States. The interagency process is outlined in 14 CFR §415, Subpart D.

The requirements for a payload review can be found in 14 CFR §415.59. They include payload name, class, physical dimensions, owner and operator (if different from person requesting payload review), orbital parameters, hazardous materials, intended payload operations, and delivery point in flight at which the payload will no longer be under the licensee's control.

Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty requires, in relevant part, that "The activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty." The FAA consulted with the Department of State as to the relevant portions of the Treaty and considered comments from the Department as part of the payload determination. The representations made by the payload operator in the request are enforceable through Chapter 509 of Title 51, United States Code, and FAA regulations. For this particular mission and set of circumstances, the FAA concludes, in concurrence with the Department of State, that the enforcement of these representations constitutes compliance with Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty. This determination does not extend to future missions by Moon Express, Inc. or similar missions from other entities. Any future requests for a payload determination from Moon Express, Inc. or another entity will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The FAA made a favorable payload determination for this particular mission, however, not all non-traditional space missions may lend themselves to favorable payload determinations under the payload review authority in 51 U.S.C. 50904. Future missions may require additional authority to be provided to the FAA to ensure conformity with the Outer Space Treaty. Suggested language for legislative relief and the relative merits and needs has been transmitted to Congress in compliance with Section 108 of the Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act (Public Law 114-90). In the absence of legislative relief, the FAA will continue to work with the commercial space industry to provide support for non-traditional missions on a case-by-case basis when the law permits.

posted 01-13-2017 12:28 PM               

Moon Express Raises $20 Million in its Series B-1 and Announces Full Funding for its Maiden Mission to the Moon

Moon Express Takes Another Leap Toward Providing Ongoing Commercial Lunar Mission Services and Winning the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE Competition

Moon Express has announced the successful closing of a $20 million Series B-1 financing and full funding for its maiden lunar mission, beginning its ongoing lunar mission and payload delivery services and aimed at winning the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE (GOOG) competition. The capital will be used for funding company operations, innovation, growth, and the production and flight of the company's MX-1E robotic spacecraft, planned to launch to the Moon at the end of 2017. The company has raised over $45 million in private investment to date from individuals and venture funding sources including Founders Fund, Collaborative Fund and Autodesk.

"We now have all the resources in place to shoot for the Moon," said company co-founder and CEO, Bob Richards. "Our goal is to expand Earth's social and economic sphere to the Moon, our largely unexplored eighth continent, and enable a new era of low cost lunar exploration and development for students, scientists, space agencies and commercial interests."

Moon Express plans a series of low cost robotic missions to the Moon starting in 2017 in support of science, exploration and commerce, with a long term goal of prospecting and harvesting new resources, including lunar water that can be uses as rocket fuel.

"We are first movers into an incredible new realm of opportunity that will be inspirational, impactful and a great business," said company co-founder and chairman, Naveen Jain. "We know that there are trillions of dollars of precious resources on the Moon, and we can now seek to unlock those resources with exponential technologies for the benefit of all of humanity, enabling entrepreneurs to do what only superpowers have done before."

Moon Express has contracted five rockets from Rocket Lab USA to launch the company's robotic "MX-1E" spacecraft into Earth orbit, where after separation the spacecraft will fire its own rocket engines and begin its four-day journey to the Moon, carrying a suite of scientific and commercial payloads from government and commercial customers, including the International Lunar Observatory, the National Laboratories of Frascati of the Italian Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) and the University of Maryland, Celestis, XPRIZE and NASA. The MX-1E is the first product in a family of spacecraft designed to radically reduce the cost of access to destinations beyond traditional Earth orbit, including cis-lunar space, the Moon, Mars, asteroids and beyond.

Last year Moon Express became the first private company in history to receive government permission to travel beyond Earth's orbit into deep space and land on the Moon. The company received the landmark U.S. policy decision on July 20th, 2016, following in depth consultations with the FAA, the White House, the State Department, NASA and other federal agencies.

NASA selected Moon Express as an industry partner in 2014 to spur commercial cargo transportation capabilities to the surface of the Moon and has provided technical support for the development of the company's lunar lander systems. In October 2016, NASA announced interest in sending instruments to the Moon aboard commercial lunar landers.

Moon Express has begun renovations of Space Launch Complexes 17 and 18 at Cape Canaveral, where the company is investing in infrastructure to build and test its spacecraft systems and operate its ongoing missions. The company reached agreements with the U.S. Air Force 45th Space Wing and Space Florida to make the former Delta II launch complex its new permanent home last year, with the State of Florida committing nearly $2 million in matching funds for the refurbishment of the historic launch sites.

posted 07-12-2017 12:10 PM               

Moon Express unveils robotic probe plans, aims lunar sample return by 2020

The first company to gain approval from the United States government to send a robotic spacecraft to the moon is now aiming to be the first to privately return lunar samples for scientists and the public by 2020.

Moon Express, a lunar resources and service firm based in Cape Canaveral, Florida, revealed its multi-tier exploration architecture on Wednesday (July 12), just one week shy of a year since the Federal Aviation Administration gave its permission for the company's MX-1E probe to land on the moon. A launch date for that first mission, dubbed "Lunar Scout," has yet to be set, but could come before the end of this year.

Two follow-on expeditions, announced on Wednesday, are focused on establishing the first permanent outpost at the moon's south pole by the end of the decade, including the return of the first non-government lunar samples to Earth.

posted 07-21-2017 01:20 PM               

Moon Express Announces Lunar South Pole Mission Technology Development Contract With International Lunar Observatory Association

International Lunar Observatory to be Established at Moon's South Pole in 2019

International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) and Moon Express have announced a collaboration for the delivery of the first International Lunar Observatory to the South Pole of the Moon in 2019 (ILO-1). Moon Express has been contracted by ILOA to develop advanced landing technologies supporting the mission.

The ILO-1 astrophysical observatory and research station will be the world's first instrument to image the Milky Way Galaxy and to conduct international astrophysical observations and communications from the lunar surface.

The ILO-1 will be landed on a 'peak of eternal light' at the lunar South Pole by a Moon Express robotic explorer system. The primary landing site under analysis is Malapert Mountain, a 5km tall peak in the Aitken Basin region that is bathed in sunshine most of the time and has 24/7 direct line of sight to Earth as well as to Shackleton Crater for communications. Moon Express will utilize the mission to explore the Moon's South Pole for mineral resources and water.

"The primary goal of the International Lunar Observatory is to expand human understanding of the Galaxy and Cosmos through observation and communications from our Moon," said ILOA founder and director, Steve Durst. "We are extremely excited to work with Moon Express to establish a presence on the Moon in 2019, the 50th anniversary year of Apollo 11."

The advanced landing technologies under development for the mission include precision landing and hazard avoidance that will allow a Moon Express robotic landing system to deliver the ILO-1 to the challenging terrain of the Moon's South Pole.