Astrobotic unveiled its Griffin Mission One (Griffin-1) lunar lander, recently designated by NASA as Moon Base II, during a visit by NASA representatives, government officials and industry partners at the company’s headquarters in Pittsburgh. The spacecraft is completing final integration activities and is scheduled to launch in late 2026.
Griffin-1 is being developed as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative in support of NASA’s Moon Base. The mission will deliver the largest commercial payload ever sent to the Moon and demonstrate Griffin as an infrastructure-class lander capable of delivering Moon Base cargo such as rovers, science instruments, and solar-based power plants.
Featured speakers at the event included leaders from across the commercial space industry, government, and education sectors, including:
• Carlos García-Galán, Program Executive for the Moon Base, NASA
• Ryan Stephan, Acting Director for Cargo Landers, NASA
• John Thornton, Chief Executive Officer, Astrobotic
• Matt Magaña, President, Defense & National Security, Voyager
• Kelly Randell, Business Development Manager, Astrolab
• Justine Kasznica, Founding Board Chair, Keystone Space Collaborative
• Dr. Jimyse Brown, Executive Director, Moonshot Museum
The lander was displayed inside Astrobotic’s clean room within the spacecraft integration facility, where engineers are completing final assembly ahead of an extensive environmental test campaign.
“When Astrobotic was founded nearly two decades ago, the idea that a team in Pittsburgh could build and fly one of the world’s largest commercial lunar landers felt incredibly ambitious,” said John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic. “Today, Griffin stands behind us as proof of what is possible when talented people spend years solving hard problems together. This spacecraft represents the transportation and logistics systems that will enable humanity’s long-term future beyond Earth. Seeing Griffin ready for its next phase of testing is a proud moment for our team and an important milestone for NASA’s Moon Base.”
Several mission payloads have already been integrated onto Griffin-1, including BEACON, a CubeRover-based joint mission with Mission Control Space Services, and LandCam-X, a payload from the European Space Agency that will improve landing precision and safety. The mission’s largest payload, Astrolab’s FLIP rover, will be integrated at launch processing facilities in Florida prior to liftoff. Through Moon Base II, FLIP will help demonstrate the mobility, logistics and autonomous surface operations capabilities NASA has identified as foundational for future lunar terrain vehicles and sustained lunar exploration.
“Landing on the Moon is only the first step,” said Jaret Matthews, founder and CEO of Astrolab. “Building a sustained presence requires the ability to move cargo, instruments, resources, and future astronauts across the lunar surface. FLIP will help demonstrate the mobility and autonomous operations capabilities NASA has identified as essential for the future Moon Base, while providing valuable experience for the next generation of lunar vehicles.”
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