Lunar Outpost and Castrol partner for landmark lunar mission

Lunar Outpost has announced a strategic collaboration with Castrol, naming the company as the lead Mission Control Center collaborator for its upcoming Lunar Voyage 1 (LV1) mission. Scheduled for launch in late 2024, LV1 aims to explore the Shackleton Connecting Ridge near the lunar South Pole, marking a significant milestone in space exploration.

Lunar Outpost is a U.S.-based company that specialises in developing advanced space robotics, lunar surface mobility, and space resource utilisation technologies. Founded in 2017, Lunar Outpost aims to enable humanity to explore and utilise the moon and other celestial bodies by providing innovative robotic systems and technologies.

The mission will deploy the Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover, which will become the first rover to traverse this uncharted lunar region. Castrol’s involvement in the Mission Control Center is expected to enhance the mission’s success, with the control centre playing a crucial role in planning, decision-making, and overseeing the rover’s operations.

Lunar Outpost’s CEO, Justin Cyrus, emphasised the importance of this collaboration, stating, “Castrol has worked with NASA since the first Apollo missions. Having the expertise of industry leaders with space heritage will not only support our commercial goals for Lunar Voyage 1 but will also help the space industry thrive.”

Castrol, known for its long-standing history with NASA and the space sector, sees this collaboration as part of its Castronomy™ initiative, which promotes space mobility advancements through partnerships with innovative companies like Lunar Outpost. Nicola Buck, chief marketing officer at Castrol, expressed excitement about the partnership.

“Castrol has been working with the space industry providing lubricants for critical mechanisms for over 60 years. Successful missions depend on the coming together of experts, pioneers and visionaries. At Castrol we call these space collaborations Castronomy™. We are thrilled to announce a new collaboration with Lunar Outpost, a truly visionary team pushing the limits of technological advancement and space exploration,” said Buck.

The Lunar Voyage 1 mission aims to achieve several historic firsts, including the first rover at the lunar South Pole, the first commercial rover on another planetary body, and the first commercial sale of space resources in human history.