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posted by janrinok on Wednesday October 07 2015, @04:03AM   Printer-friendly
from the to-infinity-and-beyond dept.

Space startup Moon Express has signed a contract with Rocket Lab to help carry out three lunar missions starting in 2017. Described as the first private contract between two companies to carry out a lunar landing, the agreement will see Rocket Lab provide launch services using its Electron rocket system for the Moon Express MX-1 lunar lander as part of Moon Express's attempt win the Google Lunar Xprize.

The contract stipulates that Rocket Lab will provide services for two launches of the MX-1 lander in 2017 and a third at a date yet to be determined. These will be conducted from either Rocket Lab's New Zealand facilities or an American launch site. The Moon Express MX-1 lander is a scalable 600 kg (1,320 lb) spacecraft that can be sent to the Moon either directly or using low-energy trajectories. Its purpose is not only to conduct scientific missions, but also to deliver commercial payloads to the lunar surface at lower costs.

Life imitates art.


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  • (Score: 2) by pixeldyne on Wednesday October 07 2015, @08:38AM

    by pixeldyne (2637) on Wednesday October 07 2015, @08:38AM (#246380)

    Do you know how many ballistic/suborbital launches theyve tested? Yeah I know, I should do my own research but you seem to know what theyre up to.

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