Griffin-1 lunar lander passes critical tests ahead of Moon flight — Space.com

In Southern California, the Griffin Mission One lunar lander, or Griffin-1, completed a series of critical environmental tests ahead of its first mission to the Moon. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch this year, Space.com reports.

Simulating flight conditions

The robotic spacecraft of Voyager Technologies was tested at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. During the checks, specialists simulated the extreme temperatures, vibrations and sounds that the module will experience from launch through landing on the lunar surface.

The tests were conducted in JPL's 7.6-meter-wide space simulator. The laboratory said that Griffin-1 successfully completed this series of checks. Charles Whitsel, manager of JPL's Exploration Systems Development Office, said that the institution provides its expertise and equipment for a new stage of commercial lunar exploration.

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Payload for the Moon's south pole

Griffin-1 is set to head to the Moon's south polar region as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. According to Space.com, the spacecraft will deliver more than 455 kilograms of cargo to the landing site.

The payload will include scientific experiments and new technologies for testing on the lunar surface. In particular, the module will carry Astrolab's FLIP rover with a supercomputer onboard. Space.com notes that the mission is intended to help prepare a future crewed base near the Moon's south pole, which NASA plans to establish over the next several years.