Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic has unveiled its new Griffin-1 lunar lander, which will serve as a key element in NASA’s program to establish a permanent base on the Moon. The launch is planned for late 2026 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
First Infrastructure-Class Lander
“This is the first infrastructure-class lander going to the surface of the moon,” said Astrobotic CEO John Thornton at the presentation on June 15, 2026. According to him, Griffin-1 will become the “cornerstone” of building the lunar base.
The Griffin-1 module is significantly larger than the previous Peregrine vehicle: standing about 2 meters tall, it measures nearly 4.5 meters across. Its payload capacity to the lunar surface is 625 kg.
Moon Base II Mission
NASA selected Griffin-1 for its Moon Base II mission — the first phase of establishing a permanent lunar outpost under the Artemis program. The lander will deliver the FLIP (Flex Lunar Innovation Platform) rover from California-based Astrolab, as well as Astrobotic’s own BEACON CubeRover.
In total, Griffin-1 will carry 10 payloads from six nations, including the European Space Agency’s LandCam-X camera designed to improve landing precision on future lunar missions.
Preparing for Launch
Integration at Astrobotic’s headquarters is wrapping up this week. Next week, Griffin-1 will be transported to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California for environmental testing. The vehicle will then be delivered to Florida, where the FLIP rover will be integrated prior to launch.
The mission will be Astrobotic’s second attempt to reach the Moon following the failed Peregrine lander flight in January 2024, when a propellant leak occurred shortly after launch. The CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) program enables NASA to use commercial landers to deliver payloads to the Moon in support of the Artemis program.
Source: Space.com
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