Summary
Voyager Technologies’ Griffin-1 lunar lander has completed vibration, acoustic, electromagnetic and thermal-vacuum testing at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The lander has returned to its manufacturer for final assembly ahead of an expected launch later in 2026.
Voyager Technologies’ Griffin-1 lunar lander has completed a series of environmental tests at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which simulated conditions including rocket vibration, launch noise and temperature extremes in space. JPL reported the tests on October 13, 2026; the spacecraft has returned to Voyager Lunar Systems’ facility for final assembly before launch-readiness operations.
The testing is a preparation milestone for a commercial lander expected to fly to the Moon later this year as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Griffin-1 is planned to travel aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket and deliver cargo to Nobile Crater near the lunar south pole.
Tests targeted different mission stresses
Engineers first spun the spacecraft on a special table to measure its mass properties. Those measurements help assess how its mass is distributed and how it may move in flight—information relevant to navigation and landing.
The team then checked electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic compatibility inside an anechoic chamber. The test examines whether signals from electronic components could interfere with one another. The chamber’s lined walls absorb sound and electromagnetic waves to limit reflections during measurements.
For vibration testing, a shaker table rattled the lander in three directions while hundreds of sensors monitored it. Acoustic testing used large horns powered by compressed nitrogen to expose the spacecraft to sound levels of up to 153 decibels, simulating the intense noise of launch.
The final environmental sequence took place in JPL’s 25-Foot Space Simulator, a thermal-vacuum chamber. For about two weeks, Griffin-1 alternated between temperatures as high as 75 degrees Celsius and as low as minus 100 degrees Celsius. The chamber recreates temperature extremes in a vacuum, conditions relevant to the spacecraft’s journey and lunar operations.
A step toward a lunar payload delivery
JPL says Griffin-1 is intended to support NASA’s Moon Base programme by delivering infrastructure and other capabilities. The lander is expected to carry 10 science and technology demonstrations from six countries, including Astrolab’s FLIP rover. JPL describes the planned cargo as more than 1,100 pounds (455 kilograms); those two figures are not equivalent, so the source’s stated cargo conversion is inconsistent.
Completing ground tests shows that the spacecraft has been exposed to a set of demanding simulated conditions before flight. The tests address important engineering risks associated with launch and the space environment, while the mission itself will still depend on the spacecraft’s performance during launch, flight and landing. Griffin-1’s next stated steps are final assembly and launch-readiness operations before shipment to Cape Canaveral.