NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program is in a tricky spot right now. VIPER has been delayed a year, new task orders are being awarded to new teams like the one led by Draper, and Masten is all but dead.

This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 41 executive producers—Simon, Lauren, Kris, Pat, Matt, Jorge, Ryan, Donald, Lee, Chris, Warren, Bob, Russell, Moritz, Joel, Jan, David, Joonas, Robb, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Frank, Julian and Lars from Agile Space, Matt, The Astrogators at SEE, Chris, Aegis Trade Law, Fred, Hemant, Dawn Aerospace, Andrew, Harrison, Benjamin, and seven anonymous—and 810 other supporters.

Topics

Commercial Lunar Payload Services | NASA
NASA delays VIPER lunar rover launch by a year - SpaceNews
WeMartians Podcast on Twitter: “I feel like maybe VIPER was rushed on to CLPS to give it some credibility. But now it’s two years behind schedule because NASA has changed the design, and the total cost is $433M. We’re not that far off from a Discovery-class mission at this rate.”
Cash-strapped Masten Space Furloughs Employees, Moon Landing Mission at Risk – Parabolic Arc
NASA Selects Draper to Fly Research to Far Side of Moon | NASA
Draper wins NASA contract for farside lunar lander mission - SpaceNews

The Show

Like the show? Support the show!
Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com
Follow @WeHaveMECO
Listen to MECO Headlines
Join the Off-Nominal Discord
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhere
Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter
Music by Max Justus
Artwork photo by ESA/JAXA

T+223: Viper Delayed, Masten Unravels, CLPS Moves On

Main Engine Cut Off

T+223: Viper Delayed, Masten Unravels, CLPS Moves On