As announced by the company today, Masten Mission 1 will be the first of many Masten missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Masten first mission to the Moon is scheduled to launch at the end of 2023 and land near the Haworth Crater at the lunar south pole.
Ordering long-lead components
Potential supply chain challenges have been got away by ordering long-lead parts for the next iteration of Xelene. If COVID-19 has taught anything to the company, it’s that supply chain management is critical to avoid vendor delays, so multiple orders for new components have been placed, including Psionic Navigation Doppler Lidar and other critical components for Masten next lander.
The team has already had a portfolio of trusted vendors for Masten Mission 1 and Masten Mission 2. And since the goal is to provide regular access to the Moon, they are sourcing from multiple vendors to mitigate schedule risk and build up their supply of components for future missions.
Ultimately, they are addressing the global supply chain challenges by applying lessons learned from Masten Mission 1 and more than a decade of experience flying and integrating payloads on their terrestrial landers.
Expanding our facilities in Mojave
The company is also adding sufficient space to accommodate simultaneous vehicle assembly and payload integration for multiple missions.
Masten currently occupies approximately 10,000 square feet of space across several buildings at the Mojave Air and Space Port with access to an additional FAA-approved test site for our landers and engine stands. The current task is to double the size of the facilities with a new 10,000 square foot assembly building that’s currently under construction. It will include a clean room with enough space to build two iterations of Xelene concurrently and support other Masten assembly projects, such as Xogdor development. Scheduled to be complete in March 2022, this new building will allow assembling, testing, and integrating as parts arrive to mitigate schedule risk for Masten Mission 1 and 2.
In order to get ready to launch, the new Mission Operations Center with the necessary infrastructure and backup generators to ensure successful mission management is being completed. The centre will be used to interface with the launch provider, ground stations, and payload providers in real-time.
So… when and where is Masten Mission 2?
The exact date and delivery site will be determined by Masten payload partners, but the company can launch Masten Mission 2 as early as six months after the launch of Masten Mission 1 in late 2023.
Masten is currently manifesting lunar delivery missions to all near- and far-side lunar landing locations, including lunar plains, craters, poles, and the lunar equator. They can also deliver to permanently shadowed craters with Masten’s heat and power system that can be added to their lander, allowing payloads to survive the lunar night.
As the space infrastructure company, Masten’s ultimate goal is to unlock the value in space for humans right here on Earth. Building a thriving lunar ecosystem is the first step to achieving that mission.
