Moon delivery startup Astrobotic picks future Vulcan rocket to launch first lunar mission
US aerospace startup Astrobotic — a company that wants to establish a delivery service to the Moon — says it will fly its very first lunar mission on top of the United Launch Alliance’s future rocket, named Vulcan. In fact, Astrobotic’s spacecraft, a lunar lander named Peregrine, will be Vulcan’s very first payload ever, scheduled for launch sometime in 2021. If everything stays on track, the mission could send the first private vehicle to the surface of the Moon.
Astrobotic is one of many companies with its sights set on the lunar surface. The company, based out of Pittsburgh, says its goal is to build vehicles that can ferry instruments and payloads to the Moon for research organizations, space agencies, companies, and more. “Our goal...