Astrolab announced a contract with SpaceX in March to launch FLEX on that mission on a Starship commercial lander.

Astrolab은 지난 3월 SpaceX와 Starship 상업용 착륙선에서 해당 임무를 수행하기 위해 FLEX를 발사하는 계약을 발표했습니다.

Astrolab, Inc. has inked agreements with eight enterprise customers for its Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover, set to deploy payloads on the upcoming lunar mission, Mission 1. Notable participants include Argo Space, Astroport, Avalon Space, Interstellar Lab, and LifeShip, with three more customers withholding payload details until closer to launch. The collective value of these contracts exceeds $160m.

SpaceX is slated to transport the FLEX rover to the lunar surface using the Starship launch system by mid-2026. Post-landing, FLEX will deploy payloads for the participating customers.

SpaceX는 2026년 중반까지 Starship 발사 시스템을 사용하여 FLEX 탐사선을 달 표면으로 수송할 예정입니다. 착륙 후 FLEX는 참여 고객을 위해 페이로드를 배포합니다.

Jaret Matthews, CEO and Founder of Astrolab, said: “Our entire Astrolab team is excited to welcome these businesses to Mission 1. Together, they represent a cross-section of the emerging lunar economy. We expect to make additional customer announcements as we get closer to our launch date.”

Matthews added that given FLEX’s total payload capacity of 1,500 kg, Astrolab is able to substantially lower the cost of deploying payloads on the lunar surface while providing manoeuvrability, range, power, and communications capabilities. The company estimates its prices are approximately ten times more affordable than those of competitors.

Matthews는 FLEX의 총 페이로드 용량이 1,500kg이므로 Astrolab은 기동성, 범위, 전력 및 통신 기능을 제공하면서 달 표면에 페이로드를 배포하는 비용을 크게 낮출 수 있다고 덧붙였습니다. 회사는 자사의 가격이 경쟁사보다 약 10배 저렴하다고 추정하고 있다.

Among the revealed payloads, Argo Space Corp. plans to use FLEX to advance technology for harvesting water from lunar regolith, a crucial step toward making in-space transportation more abundant and building a sustainable lunar economy. Astroport Space Technologies aims to utilise FLEX in melting regolith to create infrastructure components, including roads, launch pads, and shelters.

Robert Carlisle, CEO of Argo Space, said: “We’re excited to work with Astrolab on this and future missions to catalyze a commercial Lunar economy and a sustained presence on the Moon.”

Sam Ximenes, CEO of Astroport, added: “Our ideal customer for our personalised brick programme is someone from an Artemis Accords signatory country who places an order for a brick to be made from the basalt soil of their respective country. FLEX will use its robotic arm to install these bricks to begin the construction of this initial lunar road.”

Astroport의 CEO인 Sam Ximenes는 다음과 같이 덧붙였습니다. “우리의 맞춤형 벽돌 프로그램에 대한 이상적인 고객은 Artemis Accords 서명국 출신의 사람으로, 해당 국가의 현무암 토양으로 벽돌을 주문합니다. FLEX는 로봇 팔을 사용해 벽돌을 설치해 초기 달 도로 건설을 시작할 것입니다.”

Avalon Space intends to conduct a series of experiments focused on the lunar economy, emphasising the transformative potential of the next decade in beyond-Earth orbit development.

Dr. Nadeem Ghafoor, CEO of Avalon Space, stated: “I don’t think anyone doubts that there will likely be a pre-Starship and post-Starship point in human history. We’re thrilled to be working with Astrolab and our international and commercial partners on this first mission to help unlock the potential of this new era of beyond-Earth orbit development. The next decade is going to change everything, and we’re looking forward to doing our part to help it be as peaceful, collaborative, impactful and economically significant as possible.”

Interstellar Lab, a multinational venture, will deploy plant pods to study the impact of the lunar environment on plant growth.

다국적 벤처 기업인 Interstellar Lab은 달 환경이 식물 성장에 미치는 영향을 연구하기 위해 식물 꼬투리를 배치할 예정입니다.

Barbara Belvisi, founder and CEO of Interstellar Lab, commented: “We are very excited to team up with Astrolab for our mission LITTLE PRINCE. As Antoine Saint Exupéry wrote: ‘If you love a flower that lives on a star, it is sweet to look at the sky at night. All the stars are a-bloom with flowers.”

Interstellar Lab의 창립자이자 CEO인 Barbara Belvisi는 다음과 같이 말했습니다. “우리는 LITTLE PRINCE라는 사명을 위해 Astrolab과 협력하게 되어 매우 기쁩니다. 앙투안 생텍쥐페리는 이렇게 썼습니다. '별에 사는 꽃을 사랑한다면 밤하늘을 보는 것은 달콤합니다. 모든 별은 꽃으로 피어난다.”

Belvisi added: “This is the first of many Interstellar Lab missions. We look forward to helping our terrestrial customers access Space and grow a garden on the Moon.”

Belvisi는 다음과 같이 덧붙였습니다. “이것은 많은 Interstellar Lab 임무 중 첫 번째 임무입니다. 우리는 지상 고객이 Space에 액세스하고 달에 정원을 가꾸는 데 도움이 되기를 기대합니다.”

LifeShip, Inc., based in San Diego, California, is set to deliver a capsule containing a DNA seed bank and data archive to the lunar surface, inviting people worldwide to become part of humanity’s eternal legacy amongst the stars.

Ben Haldeman, CEO of LifeShip, remarked: “This is an exciting mission! With LifeShip, anyone can be part of humanity’s eternal legacy amongst the stars. People can add their DNA, photos, and stories at www.lifeship.com.”

LifeShip의 CEO인 Ben Haldeman은 다음과 같이 말했습니다. “이것은 흥미로운 임무입니다! LifeShip을 사용하면 누구나 별들 사이에서 인류의 영원한 유산의 일부가 될 수 있습니다. 사람들은 www.lifeship.com에 자신의 DNA, 사진, 이야기를 추가할 수 있습니다.”

Upon Mission 1’s completion, Astrolab’s FLEX rover will stand as the largest and most capable lunar rover to date, with a combined mass exceeding two tons and equipped with a highly dexterous robotic arm. This groundbreaking mission marks a significant stride in lunar exploration, providing expanded opportunities for scientific experiments and commercial ventures on the Moon’s surface.

미션 1이 완료되면 Astrolab의 FLEX 로버는 총 질량이 2톤을 초과하고 매우 민첩한 로봇 팔을 장착하여 현재까지 가장 크고 가장 유능한 달 탐사선이 될 것입니다. 이 획기적인 임무는 달 탐사에 있어 중요한 진전을 의미하며 달 표면에서 과학 실험과 상업적 벤처를 위한 확대된 기회를 제공합니다.