Astrobotic Griffin Lunar Lander Mission

Astrobotic's Griffin Mission One is the most commercially significant lunar mission of 2026 after Blue Moon, targeting a July 2026 launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy. It delivers payloads up to 1,100 pounds (500 kilograms) to the lunar surface, outperforming Peregrine's failed January 2024 attempt by aiming for a fully successful landing—a milestone no past CLPS lander has achieved. Its primary payload, Astrolab's 1,500-kilogram FLEX rover, is the largest commercial rover ever landed, pioneering a robot-as-a-service model. Funded under NASA's CLPS program, Griffin faces the legacy of Peregrine's failure and Intuitive Machines' IM-1 tipping in February 2024, highlighting technical hurdles. Standing 6 meters tall with a throttleable methane/oxygen engine, it advances in-situ resource utilization compatibility faster than the average lander. With contracted payloads from NASA and commercial customers, Griffin and FLEX underscore growing demand for lunar cargo services, targeting 2026 as a turning point for commercial lunar operations.