NASA announced on October 13, 2026, that Voyager Technologies’ Griffin-1 lunar lander successfully completed a series of environmental tests at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory ahead of a launch later this year.
Rigorous Environmental Testing
Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory subjected the 2,789-pound (1,265-kilogram) Griffin-1 spacecraft to tests simulating the extreme temperatures, vacuum, and intense shaking of spaceflight. Testing began in July after the lander arrived from Voyager Lunar Systems’ manufacturing facilities in Pittsburgh.
The vehicle underwent mass properties testing, electromagnetic compatibility assessments, vibration testing, and thermal vacuum testing inside the 25-Foot Space Simulator. For about two weeks, the lander alternately baked at up to 167 degrees Fahrenheit (75 degrees Celsius) and froze at temperatures as low as minus 148 F (minus 100 C).
Mission Details and Payload
According to NASA, Griffin-1 is scheduled to launch later this year aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. The infrastructure-class lander will deliver more than 1,100 pounds (455 kilograms) of cargo to Nobile Crater near the lunar South Pole.
The spacecraft will carry 10 science and technology demonstrations from six countries, including Astrolab’s FLIP rover, which NASA describes as the largest commercial payload ever delivered to the Moon. Following testing at JPL, Griffin-1 returned to Voyager Lunar Systems for final assembly and launch-readiness operations.
Key facts and where they come from
- Voyager Technologies' Griffin-1 lunar lander completed environmental testing at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Voyager Technologies’ Griffin Mission One (Griffin-1) spacecraft is ready to survive the rigors of space exploration.
- Griffin-1 is expected to launch later this year aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
Griffin-1 is expected to launch later this year aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
- The spacecraft will deliver more than 1,100 pounds of cargo to Nobile Crater near the lunar South Pole.
It will deliver more than 1,100 pounds (455 kilograms) of cargo to Nobile Crater near the lunar South Pole
- The lander weighed 2,789 pounds during testing.
the 2,789-pound (1,265-kilogram) spacecraft took a cross-country road trip
