Astrolab 宣布簽訂價值 1.6 億美元的新合約

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

Astrolab 在 3 月宣布與 SpaceX 簽訂合同，在 Starship 商業著陸器上發射 FLEX 執行任務。

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.

Astrolab, Inc. 已與八家企業客戶簽署了靈活物流和探索(FLEX) 漫遊車協議，準備在即將到來的月球任務Mission 1 中部署有效載荷。著名參與者包括Argo Space、Astroport、Avalon Space、Interstellar Lab 和LifeShip，還有另外三個客戶在接近發射之前隱瞞了有效負載的詳細資訊。這些合約的總價值超過 1.6 億美元。

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.

SpaceX 計劃在 2026 年中期使用 Starship 發射系統將 FLEX 月球車運送到月球表面。著陸後，FLEX 將為參與的客戶部署有效載荷。

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.”

Astrolab 執行長兼創辦人 Jaret Matthews 表示：「我們整個 Astrolab 團隊很高興歡迎這些企業加入 Mission 1。他們共同代表了新興月球經濟的一個重要組成部分。隨著發布日期的臨近，我們預計將發布更多客戶公告。”

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.

馬修斯補充說，鑑於 FLEX 的總有效載荷能力為 1,500 公斤，Astrolab 能夠大幅降低在月球表面部署有效載荷的成本，同時提供機動性、範圍、功率和通訊能力。該公司估計其價格比競爭對手便宜約十倍。

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.

在公佈的有效載荷中，Argo Space Corp.計劃使用FLEX來推進從月球風化層中收集水的技術，這是使太空運輸更加豐富和建立可持續月球經濟的關鍵一步。 Astroport Space Technologies 的目標是利用 FLEX 融化風化層來創建基礎設施組件，包括道路、發射台和避難所。

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.”

Argo Space 執行長 Robert Carlisle 表示：“我們很高興與 Astrolab 合作執行本次和未來的任務，以促進商業月球經濟和在月球上的持續存在。”

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.”

Astroport 執行長 Sam Ximenes 補充說：「我們個人化磚塊專案的理想客戶是來自《阿耳特彌斯協議》簽署國的客戶，他們訂購了用各自國家的玄武岩土壤製成的磚塊。 FLEX 將使用其機械手臂安裝這些磚塊，開始建造這條最初的月球道路。”

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.

阿瓦隆航太公司打算進行一系列以月球經濟為重點的實驗，強調未來十年在地外軌道發展的變革潛力。

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.”

Avalon Space 執行長 Nadeem Ghafoor 博士表示：「我認為沒有人懷疑人類歷史上可能存在星際飛船前和星際飛船後的時刻。我們很高興能與 Astrolab 以及我們的國際和商業合作夥伴合作執行這第一個任務，以幫助釋放這個新時代的地外軌道開發的潛力。下一個十年將改變一切，我們期待盡自己的一份力量，幫助它盡可能和平、協作、有影響力和經濟意義。”

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

跨國企業星際實驗室將部署植物莢來研究月球環境對植物生長的影響。

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 Lab 創辦人兼執行長 Barbara Belvisi 評論道：「我們非常高興能夠與 Astrolab 合作執行我們的『小王子』任務。正如安托萬·聖埃克蘇佩里所寫：“如果你愛一朵生活在星星上的花，那麼在夜晚仰望天空是甜蜜的。”所有的星星都開滿了鮮花。”

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.”

貝爾維西補充說：「這是星際實驗室眾多任務中的第一個。我們期待幫助我們的地面客戶進入太空並在月球上種植花園。”

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.

總部位於加州聖地牙哥的 LifeShip, Inc. 計畫將一個包含 DNA 種子庫和資料檔案的膠囊運送到月球表面，邀請世界各地的人們成為人類在星際中永恆遺產的一部分。

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.”

LifeShip 執行長 Ben Haldeman 表示：「這是一項令人興奮的使命！有了 LifeShip，任何人都可以成為人類永恆遺產的一部分。人們可以在 www.lifeship.com 上添加他們的 DNA、照片和故事。”

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.

任務 1 完成後，Astrolab 的 FLEX 月球車將成為迄今為止最大、能力最強的月球車，總質量超過兩噸，並配備高度靈巧的機械手臂。這項開創性的任務標誌著月球探索的重大進步，為月球表面的科學實驗和商業投資提供了更多的機會。