PITTSBURGH, PA – NOV. 29, 2011 – NASA today selected Astrobotic Technology Inc. for a contract to develop robotic teams to explore extensive caves on Mars, the Moon, and other planetary destinations. Astrobotic will develop robots that cooperate to overcome the challenges of underground planetary missions: no light for solar power, radio communications blocked by rock, and mobility challenged by rough terrain.

Through a subcontract to Carnegie Mellon University, the research will build on multi-robot and subterranean robot research pioneered at CMU to improve capabilities and reduce risk of failure relative to single-robot missions.

Recent interest in exploration of planetary caves was prompted by the discovery of skylights on the Moon and on Mars through satellite imagery. The presence of these skylights, believed to be entrances to lava tubes, on two distinct planetary bodies suggests that these features can be found on other planets. It is unknown whether these systems are present as intricate ‘plumbing’ networks extending for hundreds of miles, or occur as isolated caverns of limited extent. Planetary caves could be ideal early shelters for robots and crews against the radiation, micrometeorites and extremely high and low temperatures of the lunar surface.

“Team exploration with robots is similar to a football team,” said Steve Huber, Astrobotic’s principal investigator for the contract. “One may call the plays, some do the heavy work, and others are sufficiently nimble to reach the farthest pockets of the cave.”

Selection by NASA will be followed by a negotiation period before the $125,000 contract is formally awarded to the company.

“NASA officials see Astrobotic as a key option to get their payloads to the Moon at a cost the agency can afford in this tight budget environment,” said Astrobotic President David Gump. “This is the eighth lunar contract we’ve won, and an indication of the interest NASA has in commercial approaches to lunar exploration.”

About Astrobotic Technology:

A spin-out from Carnegie Mellon University, Astrobotic delivers payloads and collects data for space agencies, aerospace corporations and academic researchers. The first expedition in 2014-15 will carry scientific instruments, engineering experiments and sample components that space agencies and companies want to test in the lunar environment. For corporate sponsors, it will deliver promotions that involve customers directly in the adventure of lunar exploration. An early goal is prospecting at the Moon’s poles for water and methane that can be transformed into propellant to refuel spacecraft for their return to Earth.   More information is available at: www.astrobotic.net.

PITTSBURGH, PA – August 8, 2011 – NASA today selected Astrobotic Technology Inc. to research breakthroughs in methods to explore lava tubes, caves and recently discovered “skylights” leading down into these features on the Moon and Mars.

Lava tubes and other types of caves can shelter astronauts and robots from harsh off-world environments, which on the Moon means micrometeorite bombardment, intense radiation and extreme temperature swings of 500 degrees from day to night. Cave-dwelling by early astronauts and robots likely will be less expensive than bringing shelter materials all the way from Earth.

Astrobotic Technology, in cooperation with Carnegie Mellon University, is preparing a robotic expedition to the Moon to be launched in the December 2013 – July 2014 time frame.

Astrobotic was one of 30 companies, universities and NASA organizations that were selected for negotiation today by the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program in the Office of Chief Technologist. The approximately $100,000 award is to cover a year-long study starting next month.

Astrobotic will be eligible for a $500,000 Phase 2 award next year to continue the work.

More information on the NIAC awards is available at http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/aug/HQ_11-260_NIAC_Selections.html.

PITTSBURGH, PA – March 3, 2011 – Astrobotic Technology Inc. today released a new guide for researchers on preparation of their instruments for the company’s robotic expedition to the surface of the Moon.

The expedition, based on technology from Carnegie Mellon University, will carry up to 240 pounds of science, engineering, and marketing payloads. Any university, government agency or company is eligible to purchase payload accommodations on the December 2013 flight.

“To get their sensors and experiments to the lunar surface, researchers have had to propose entire missions to space agencies such as NASA or the European Space Agency,” said David Gump, president. “This initiative allows engineers and scientists to focus on just their own instruments, with Astrobotic providing the delivery and support utilities like power and communications. They can buy just what they need from us by the pound, watt, and byte.”

Last month Astrobotic announced that it has signed a contract with SpaceX to launch its mission on a Falcon 9 rocket, the same vehicle that NASA will use to send supplies to the International Space Station. The Falcon 9 will throw the Astrobotic spacecraft into a lunar trajectory for a four-day cruise to the Moon. The spacecraft (comprised of a lander and a rover) then will enter lunar orbit before rocketing down to the surface near the historic Apollo 11 site.

Payloads will be hosted both on the lander and rover. The new version 2.0 of the Payload User’s Guide shows where payloads will be attached, the power and communications services available, and the environments to be expected during launch, cruise and lunar operations. The Payload User’s Guide can be downloaded from astrobotic.net/payloads.

The initial December 2013 expedition to an equatorial Apollo site will be followed in July 2015 with a robot prospector roaming the Moon’s south pole looking for the richest concentrations of frozen water, methane, and other volatiles.

About Astrobotic Technology

AstroboticTM expeditions deliver payloads, scientific instruments and engineering experiments to the Moon for space agencies, academic researchers and the media/marketing industries. NASAawarded the company a $10 million contract in 2010 for access to the expedition’s engineering data on lunar landing technologies. The company also has a NASA assignment to design a lunar mining robot to recover the frozen volatiles at the poles, which can be transformed into propellant to refuel spacecraft for their return to Earth. Other expeditions will explore “skylight” holes and lunar caves as havens from temperature extremes, radiation exposure and micrometeorite bombardment. Astrobotic also plans a robot to circle the moon, outrunning lunar sundown and avoiding the immobilizing cold of the two-week night. More information is available at www.astrobotic.net.

PITTSBURGH, PA – February 6, 2011 – Astrobotic Technology Inc. today announced it has signed a contract with SpaceX to launch Astrobotic’s robotic payload to the Moon on a Falcon 9.   The expedition will search for water and deliver payloads, with the robot narrating its adventure while sending 3D video.  The mission could launch as soon as December 2013.

The Falcon 9 upper stage will sling Astrobotic on a four-day cruise to the Moon.   Astrobotic will then orbit the moon to align for landing.  The spacecraft will land softly, precisely and safely using technologies pioneered by Carnegie Mellon University for guiding autonomous cars.  The rover will explore for three months, operate continuously during the lunar days, and hibernate through the lunar nights.  The lander will sustain payload operations with generous power and communications.

“The mission is the first of a serial campaign,” said Dr. William “Red” Whittaker, chairman of Astrobotic Technology and founder of the university’s Field Robotics Center. “Astrobotic’s missions will pursue new resources, deliver rich experiences, serve new customers and open new markets.   Spurred further by incentives, contracts, and the Google Lunar X PRIZE, this is a perfect storm for new exploration.”

“The moon has economic  and scientific treasures that went undiscovered during the Apollo era, and our robot explorers will spearhead this new lunar frontier,” said David Gump, president of Astrobotic Technology.   “The initial mission will bank up to $24 million in Google’s Lunar X PRIZE, Florida’s $2 million launch bonus, and NASA’s $10 million landing contract while delivering 240 pounds of payload for space agencies and corporate marketers.”

In addition to Carnegie Mellon, where several prototypes have been built and tested, the mission is supported by industrial partners such as International Rectifier Corporation and corporate sponsors such as Caterpillar Inc. and ANSYS Inc.

About Astrobotic Technology

Astrobotic^TM expeditions deliver payloads, scientific instruments and engineering experiments to the moon for space agencies, academic researchers and the media/marketing industries.  NASA awarded the company a $10 million contract in 2010 for access to the expedition’s engineering data on lunar landing technologies.  The company also has a NASA assignment to design a lunar mining robot to recover the frozen volatiles at the poles, which can be transformed into propellant to refuel spacecraft for their return to Earth.  Other expeditions will explore “skylight” holes and lunar caves as havens from temperature extremes, radiation exposure and micrometeorite bombardment.  Astrobotic also plans a robot to circle the moon, outrunning lunar sundown and avoiding the immobilizing cold of the two-week night.  More information is available at  www.astrobotic.net.

About SpaceX

SpaceX is developing a family of launch vehicles and spacecraft that is increasing the reliability and performance of space transportation, while ultimately reducing costs by a factor of ten. With the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 rockets, SpaceX has a diverse manifest of launches to deliver commercial satellites to orbit. After the Space Shuttle retires, the Falcon 9 and SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will start carrying cargo, including live plants and animals, to and from the International Space Station for NASA. Falcon 9 and Dragon were developed to one day carry astronauts.

Founded in 2002, SpaceX is a private company owned by management and employees, with minority investments from Founders Fund, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and Valor Equity Partners. The company has over 1,200 employees in California, Texas and Florida. For more information, and to watch the video of the  Falcon 9 and Dragon launches, visit the SpaceX website at SpaceX.com.

PITTSBURGH, PA – Dec. 20, 2010 –NASA has awarded the initial half-million-dollar task order from a $10 million NASA contract to Astrobotic Technology for a robotic expedition to the Moon.

“The amazingly short turnaround between proposal and award are a testament to NASA’s support for lunar commerce companies like ours,” said Dr. William “Red” Whittaker, chairman of Astrobotic Technology.

The company will design, build, and test the primary structure of its lunar lander under the assignment. After the addition of engines, electronics and departure ramps, the lander will carry Astrobotic’s Moon rover to the surface in an expedition set for 2013.

Astrobotic is a spin out from Carnegie Mellon University, where much of the technical progress is conducted.

Allies in the mission include International Rectifier, Aerojet, Alcoa, ANSYS, Caterpillar Inc., General Motors, Harmonic Drive, Lockheed Martin, SpaceWorks Commercial, Scaled Composites and others.

The 2013 mission has 220 pounds of payload capacity available for customers. Astrobotic is discussing payload terms with space agencies, corporations and universities. The robot’s high-definition cameras will show the Moon in 3D as it is directed by amateur drivers over the Web and at science centers. The expedition also will pursue up to $24 million under the Google Lunar X-Prize and $2 million from the state of Florida.

Carnegie Mellon University backs the project with the experience of its Robotics Institute, where several prototype lunar robots have been developed and field tested. The University’s expertise includes winning the DARPA Urban Challenge with a Chevy Tahoe that autonomously drove through city traffic, planning its own path, avoiding obstacles and obeying the California traffic code. This sensing and software technology is being applied to a precision landing on the Moon.

The Astrobotic spacecraft will be sent to a lunar trajectory by a Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX, which earlier this month conducted a successful orbital flight test of its Dragon space capsule for carrying cargo and eventually crew to the International Space Station.

The NASA contract will pay Astrobotic for data about how to land at a precise location, which hasn’t been done by previous Mars and Moon robots, as well as how to avoid last-minute obstacles like boulders and small craters unseen from orbit. The NASA contract also pays for information about how the Astrobotic robot survives the lunar night – two weeks of deep freeze as cold as liquid nitrogen.

Another $600,000 task order will be available in 2012, but the remainder of the funds are paid after the spacecraft lands. The contract was awarded under the agency’s Innovative Lunar Demonstrations Data program.

About Astrobotic Technology:
AstroboticTM expeditions carry scientific instruments, engineering experiments and sample components that space agencies and companies want to test in the lunar environment. For corporate sponsors, it will deliver promotions that involve customers directly in the adventure of lunar exploration. Expeditions will prospect at the Moon’s poles for water and methane that can be transformed into propellant to refuel spacecraft for their return to Earth. Other expeditions will explore recently found “skylights” that pierce the lunar soil down to volcanic caves that offer shelter from the Moon’s temperature extremes, radiation and micrometeorites. Astrobotic also plans a robot able to outrun lunar sundown, always keeping its solar panels illuminated and avoiding the immobilizing cold of the long night. More information is available at: www.astrobotic.net.

NASA has selected Astrobotic Technology and Carnegie Mellon University to develop a prototype robot for mining water and methane ices at the Moon’s poles.   These volatiles can refuel astronauts’ spacecraft for their return trip to Earth, halving the cost of human Moon expeditions.

The $599,970 award will fund a two-year effort to build a robot able to dig into frozen lunar dirt despite the Moon’s one-sixth gravity, which leaves excavators much less traction, needed to push digging implements into the ground, than on Earth.

The robot employs an innovative bucket-wheel excavator mounted transverse to the direction of travel;  pushback from digging would mainly push lightly sideways on the wheels.  Standard blade or scraper approaches push the robot back along the wheels’ direction of travel  working against already limited traction.  The small digging edges of a bucket wheel also concentrate digging force narrowly compared to machines with wide blades or scrapers.

“Shipping heavy machines to the Moon is very costly, so the challenge we solve is excavating with a low-mass robot in the range of 70 to 300 pounds,” said Chris Skonieczny, leader of the Astrobotic project.  “In addition to the transverse bucket wheel, our design uses composite materials for light weight and high-speed driving for greater productivity.”

The contract is a Phase II award in NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program, following up a successful Phase I concept study.  Astrobotic intends a commercial expedition to one of the Moon’s poles with the excavator when the concept is ready.

Last week Astrobotic and Carnegie Mellon were awarded a NASA contract worth up to $10 million, for the team’s initial robotic expedition to the Moon in April 2013.   This contract under the Innovative Lunar Demonstration Data (ILDD) program will pay Astrobotic for data about how to land at a precise location, as well as how to avoid last-minute obstacles like boulders and small craters unseen from orbit.  Astrobotic can collect $500,000 with the first hardware demonstration this winter, but the bulk of the funding will be awarded after its spacecraft lands.

Allies in the initial lunar mission are Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Aerojet, Scaled Composites, International Rectifier, Harmonic Drive LLC and Caterpillar Inc.   These two contracts bring to five the awards that Astrobotic has received from NASA for lunar exploration topics.

Carnegie Mellon’s expertise has been demonstrated in dozens of cutting-edge projects, including winning the DARPA Urban Challenge with a Chevy Tahoe that autonomously drove through city traffic, planning its own path, avoiding obstacles and obeying the California traffic code.  This sensing and software technology is being applied to a precision landing on the Moon.