Astrolab's FLIP rover to ride aboard Astrobotic's Griffin-1 for lunar mission

Astrolab's FLIP rover to ride aboard Astrobotic's Griffin-1 for lunar mission
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 06, 2025

Venturi Astrolab (Astrolab) and Astrobotic have confirmed that the Astrolab FLIP (FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform) rover will be transported to the Moon aboard Astrobotic's Griffin lander as part of Griffin Mission One (Griffin-1). The rover will be deployed at the Nobile Region near the lunar south pole, with the mission slated for late 2025. Originally designed to carry NASA's VIPER payload under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, Griffin-1 has been repurposed after NASA discontinued the VIPER project due to budgetary and scheduling challenges.

"Astrobotic received worldwide interest from dozens of organizations eager to fly aboard Griffin-1, and we conducted a rigorous selection process to identify the mission partner that aligned best with our timeline and Griffin's capabilities. Astrolab shares our vision of making lunar science, exploration, and commercial activity both accessible and transformative. By deploying the FLIP rover on Griffin-1, we are advancing humanity's future on the Moon and enabling groundbreaking U.S. technology demonstrations at the lunar South Pole," said John Thornton, founder and CEO of Astrobotic.

Astrobotic continues to play a key role in advancing lunar accessibility, offering transportation, mobility, and power solutions. Following NASA's decision to discontinue the VIPER rover project, the Griffin lander's mission was restructured to demonstrate its capability as a large-scale lunar delivery system. The lander will now transport a payload mass similar to VIPER's and support the deployment of Astrolab's FLIP rover, which is designed to test critical technologies intended for future lunar logistics and exploration.

"By joining Griffin Mission One, we will gather key insights into how lunar rovers like FLIP and FLEX operate in real lunar conditions," said Jaret Matthews, founder and CEO of Astrolab. "Bringing FLIP to the Moon offers an opportunity to demonstrate and test many of the critical technologies that will advance the commercial FLEX vehicle, including full-sized batteries, tires, critical avionics systems, sensors, and software."

Astrolab has further plans for lunar exploration, having secured an agreement with SpaceX to deliver its FLEX rover to the Moon as early as December 2026. The FLEX rover will be transported using SpaceX's Starship system under a two-year launch window. The FLIP platform serves as a precursor to this mission, allowing Astrolab to refine core technologies and collect vital lunar science data ahead of the commercial FLEX deployment.

"Losing VIPER could've been a setback, but Astrobotic didn't let up. They rolled up their sleeves, found a new way forward, and made sure this mission stays on track. With Astrolab's FLIP rover onboard, we're showing the world that when challenges come our way, we double down," said U.S. Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.

"This is how we lead-not by playing it safe but by pushing forward with the technology that'll shape the future of exploration. I couldn't be prouder that Pennsylvania's Astrobotic is making sure America stays first in line to the lunar South Pole," Fetterman added.

FLIP Rover: Key Features and Mission Objectives

In 2024, Astrolab and Venturi Space unveiled a prototype of the FLIP rover at the 75th International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy. The rover is designed to cater to institutions, businesses, and research organizations in the U.S. and Europe that seek lunar access for small payloads.

"FLIP offers customers many of the same payload space configurations as the larger FLEX rover we are using on our upcoming commercial mission, Mission One. This continues a goal we set for ourselves when we introduced the FLEX in 2022," said Matthews. "We want to set the standard for lunar logistics. Just as there are standard sizes of shipping containers used in intermodal shipping on Earth, we seek to do the same on the Moon."

FLIP has a mass of nearly half a metric ton and can carry payloads up to 30 kg. It is compatible with mid-sized lunar landers entering the commercial market and provides opportunities for technology demonstrations, exploration, and scientific research. The rover shares critical components and subsystems with the larger FLEX platform, ensuring seamless integration with future missions.

As part of its objectives, FLIP will test solutions to mitigate lunar dust, which poses risks to vehicles, structures, and spacecraft systems. Its payloads will evaluate protective coatings for key components such as solar arrays and radiators, while also quantifying dust accumulation rates. Additionally, FLIP will trial advanced dust sealing techniques for wheel actuators.

Astrolab will also assess key technologies under the Moon's extreme temperatures and rugged terrain. These evaluations include testing FLIP's hyper-deformable airless tires and batteries developed by Venturi Space. The findings from this mission will inform risk mitigation strategies for future commercial lunar operations.