Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

NASA/commercial return to the Moon.
Photo Credit: NASA/GSFC

A House Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee bill provides a record $21.5 billion for NASA. That bill released late yesterday “fully funds the requested amounts for robotic and human exploration of the Moon, including $504.2 million for the lunar orbital platform; $116.5 million for advanced lunar and surface capabilities; $218 million for planetary science, including rovers and science instruments.”

“The FY 2019 House Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill firmly sets America on a course back to the surface of the Moon for the first time since 1972 with its full funding of the Lunar Discovery and Exploration program in Science Mission Directorate and Advanced Cislunar and Surface Capabilities in the Advanced Exploration Systems office,” said Astrobotic’s CEO John Thornton.

Peregrine lunar lander.
Credit: Astrobotics

“These approaches will build on NASA’s ongoing work with Lunar CATALYST partners to provide small robotic lander capabilities as early as 2020 on Astrobotic’s first Peregrine mission to the Moon, which will launch on the ULA Atlas V,” Thornton said in a company statement.

Lunar providers

Yesterday NASA held an “Industry Day” for its Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, in which NASA will partner with commercial lunar providers to deliver NASA payloads to the surface on at-least annual cadence.

Notional Gateway.
Credit: NASA

Also, NASA recently closed its Request for Information for Medium Lander capabilities. This RFI was another important signal that NASA is moving out on a methodical and highly capable lunar program.

Astrobotic Technology Inc. is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is a lunar logistics company that delivers payloads to the Moon for companies, governments, universities, non-profit organizations, and individuals.

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