Masten Space Systems (now Astrobotic's Propulsion and Test Department) was an aerospace manufacturer startup specializing in vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) rockets for uncrewed sub-orbital and intended orbital spaceflights. They developed reusable launch vehicles, rocket propulsion hardware, and provided services like rocket propulsion design and space hardware testing. Masten was known for its work with NASA through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program and aimed to enable sustainable access to the Moon, with key technologies including lunar landers (like the XL-1), lunar night survival tech, and lunar water mining tech.
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Masten Space Systems will expand its facilities in Mojave, California and hire additional employees to work on the XL-1 lander.
NASA selected Masten Space Systems on 2020-04-08 to fly a suite of payloads to the south pole of the moon in late 2022.
Masten Space Systems won a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) award on 2020-04-07 for an approach to create instant landing pads on the moon.
In 2009 Masten Space Systems won the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge with landers named Xombie and Xoie.
All three companies—Boeing, Masten Space Systems, and Northrop Grumman—received Phase 1 study contracts from DARPA in 2014.
Jon Goff previously served as lead propulsion engineer for Masten Space Systems when it won the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge in 2009.
Masten Space Systems is developing the XL-1 lunar lander for CLPS that will be able to place up to 100 kg on the lunar surface starting in 2021.
In May 2017 DARPA selected Boeing to develop the XS-1 program, with Masten Space Systems and Northrop Grumman having received earlier study contracts.