Activities
Astrobotic Technology sells data, delivers payloads, and performs services on the Moon for space agencies, aerospace contractors, media entities and corporate marketers. The company’s initial mission, Tranquility TrekTM, will win up to $25 million in the Google Lunar X Prize and also return to the historic Apollo 11 site. Subsequent expeditions will explore the lunar poles – where NASA intends to create a permanent outpost by 2020 – and prospect for the Moon’s energy and mineral resources.
The company has completed a research contract for NASA on how to prepare landing zones for the agency’s outpost. The research showed how dirt-moving robots could build protective berms between the landing zones and habitats to block the grit accelerated sideways when rockets land and take off.
Astrobotic also is sponsoring an entry into NASA’s Regolith Challenge, a terrestrial contest to build a robot able to dig and deposit simulated regolith (lunar dirt).
Astrobotic will earn revenue from selling data about the Moon and performing payload deliveries and on-site services such as site surveying and construction for outposts planned by space agencies. In addition, it will serve corporate marketers and media outlets with exclusive sponsorable space exploration events.
