Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander failed to reach the moon because of a problem with a single valve in the propulsion system, according to a report on the mission released Tuesday. Company leadership said in a press conference that engineers have redesigned the valve and introduced additional redundancy into the propulsion system of its next lander, […]
Japanese billionaire pulls plug on private ‘dearMoon’ lunar Starship mission
The Japanese billionaire who commissioned SpaceX for a private mission around the moon on a Starship rocket has abruptly canceled the project, citing ongoing uncertainties around when the launch vehicle will be ready to fly. “I signed the contract in 2018 based on the assumption that dearMoon would launch by the end of 2023,” Yusaku […]
Intuitive Machines to take its shot at reaching the moon with first private lunar lander
Intuitive Machines is looking to succeed where past ventures have failed with its inaugural lunar lander mission, which would mark the first time a private company has landed a spacecraft on the moon — ever. The mission is poised to lift off on a SpaceX rocket just at 12:57 AM EST tomorrow from the launch […]
The not-so-secret-anymore lunar mining startup
Hello and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. We’re just two days away from Intuitive Machines’ first-ever mission to the moon. Pro-tip: If you haven’t already, check out this ultra thorough press kit on the mission — the company goes into a ton of detail about the lander architecture, the payloads on board and everything that will […]
Ex-Blue Origin leaders’ secretive lunar startup Interlune has moonshot mining plans
Interlune, a stealth startup headed by ex-Blue Origin executives, is focused on mining the moon for a rare isotope of helium that could be used to scale quantum computing and eventually even fusion power, TechCrunch has learned. Regulatory filings reported here last week showed that the company recently closed $ 15.5 million in new capital; […]