Masten Space Systems made a name for itself as a rocket company that focused on vertical takeoff and vertical landing technology. They hit some financial bumps and got acquired, but not before racking up more than 600 successful rocket-powered landings and landing some hefty NASA contracts for lunar missions.
Masten Space Systems saw itself as a space infrastructure company. Their goal? Make space access sustainable and practical for everyone.
They really zeroed in on reliable landing capabilities. Masten designed reusable vertical takeoff, vertical landing rockets that could deliver payloads with precision to other worlds.
But it wasn’t just about getting things from A to B. Masten wanted to build the backbone for lasting space operations—things like landing pads, navigation systems, and robust test platforms.
They went with the slogan “Your Mission Has Landed,” which pretty much sums up their belief in delivering exactly where customers needed. Their clients ranged from commercial outfits to government agencies who wanted proven space delivery.
David Masten started the company in 2004. They began in Santa Clara, California, but eventually moved to Mojave.
Early on, the team focused on building and testing vertical takeoff, vertical landing rockets. They ran a ton of tests for both government and commercial clients, racking up over 600 successful landings with their test vehicles.
In April 2020, NASA picked Masten for a $75.9 million contract to deliver scientific instruments to the Moon. This included nine instruments plus the MoonRanger rover, all set to ride on Masten’s XL-1 lunar lander.
They developed the Xelene lunar lander with payload capacity in the hundreds of kilograms. NASA planned to use it for a 2023 mission to the lunar south pole.
Masten also offered terrestrial testing services. Their reusable rockets gave customers a real-world way to validate space hardware and entry, descent, and landing systems.
Financial trouble hit hard, and Masten had to furlough everyone. That move put both their operations and the NASA lunar mission contract in jeopardy. The cash crunch threatened the XL-1 mission.
Astrobotic stepped in and bought Masten Space Systems for $4.5 million in late 2022. This deal included all of Masten’s space tech and contracts.
Astrobotic folded Masten’s landing expertise into its own lunar delivery plans. They gained access to Masten’s vertical landing tech and NASA connections.
After the acquisition, Masten’s technologies became part of Astrobotic’s space infrastructure. The FAST Landing Pads and NITE System projects continued under new management.
This move kept the NASA lunar mission contract alive and gave commercial customers some continuity. Masten’s technical achievements lived on, supporting future space exploration.
Masten Space Systems built its reputation with bold vertical takeoff and landing tech, hands-on rocket testing, and clever lunar night survival systems. They pulled off over 600 successful flights while working on infrastructure that supports space exploration missions.
Masten led the way with reusable vertical takeoff and vertical landing (VTVL) rockets, building six generations of vehicles. Their most advanced rocket, Xogdor, packs a 6,000 lbf turbopump-fed engine fueled by liquid oxygen and methane.
This sixth-gen rocket acts as a testbed for entry, descent, and landing systems. Engineers use Xogdor to nail down the precise landing skills needed for Moon missions.
Their VTVL approach skips the headaches of traditional rocket recovery. The same engines that launch the rockets bring them back down, landing upright.
Commercial and government clients use these rockets to test new tech in realistic environments. It’s a way to mature space hardware before the real deal.
Key VTVL capabilities:
Masten set up serious rocket engine testing facilities. They covered everything from single injector tests to full engine runs.
Their PermiAM additive manufacturing process changed how they made rocket parts. Instead of building injectors from hundreds of pieces, they 3D-printed them as one part.
This tech works with several metals, slashes costs, and boosts engine performance. It also speeds up manufacturing.
Masten’s facilities also churn out high-power electric cryogenic pumps using additive manufacturing. These pumps work in 5,000 lbf engines and offer better throttle control than classic turbopumps.
The electric pumps run on methane, oxygen, and hydrogen. They’re key for propellant transfer and refueling, especially for sample return missions.
Masten’s NITE System tackles the brutal lunar night, where temps plunge to -387°F. Most spacecraft just can’t handle it.
The Nighttime Integrated Thermal and Electricity system creates heat and power by oxidizing leftover propellant from the lander’s main tanks.
NITE kicks in automatically when things get too cold. This keeps missions running for at least a year.
The system keeps spacecraft, rovers, and science gear alive during harsh lunar nights. Without it, missions would wrap up after just one night.
Masten designed NITE to work with different lander types. It offers reliable power and thermal management for long-term lunar operations.
Masten Space Systems built its reputation on suborbital testing for commercial and government clients. Their work revolved around vertical takeoff and landing tech, with flight testing at Mojave.
Masten built a fleet of reusable rockets for suborbital flights. These rockets used vertical takeoff and vertical landing (VTVL) tech, which became essential for payload testing.
They flew out of Mojave Air and Space Port in California. Each rocket was designed to be ready for another flight fast.
Masten’s suborbital rockets did a lot. NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program used them for research payloads, and commercial clients tested equipment before sending it to orbit.
The rockets landed with impressive precision. That accuracy made them perfect for navigation and landing tech tests, including systems later used on Mars and the Moon.
Masten wrapped up more than 600 vertical takeoff and landing flights over its history. These flights cemented their status as VTVL leaders.
Their flight program started turning heads in 2009, when they won the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander XCHALLENGE.
Since 2011, Masten regularly flew NASA-sponsored payloads. These missions helped get equipment ready for real spaceflight.
Astrobotic’s OPAL navigation system and Honeybee Robotics’ PlanetVac tech flew on Masten rockets. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab also tested vision systems for Mars Curiosity with them.
Each launch saw the rocket take off, hit target altitudes, and land back at the site. They could repeat this cycle for multiple missions in a short time.
Astrobotic is now pushing the envelope with the next-gen Xogdor rocket. This new vehicle will outperform the original Masten fleet.
Xogdor will hit higher altitudes and stay aloft longer, giving customers more testing time.
The big leap? Supersonic flight capability. That means they can test equipment for high-speed atmospheric transitions.
Both commercial and government clients will get more advanced flight tests. Supersonic tests will help develop tech that needs to survive high-speed flight before heading to orbit.
Masten Space Systems shook up payload development with hands-on testing and flexible integration. Their suborbital flight programs helped push tech readiness, while their adaptable systems supported everything from science instruments to commercial cargo.
Masten ran one of the busiest suborbital payload test programs around. They completed over 600 vertical flights and landings with their reusable rockets.
These flights gave payloads a taste of space-like conditions. Reduced gravity, high altitudes, and flight dynamics all got tested.
Key Testing Capabilities:
NASA and the Department of Defense used these services. Payload teams validated their tech before risking a full space mission.
Masten’s landers could carry up to 25 kilograms of payload. The rockets delivered about 1,000 meters per second of delta-V, running on liquid oxygen and isopropanol.
This approach cut mission risks and costs. Teams could test in relevant flight environments without the hassle of going to orbit.
Masten’s lunar landers handled all sorts of payloads with flexible mounting. The Xelene lander and others could carry scientific instruments, rovers, demos, and cargo.
Payload Integration Options:
At their Mojave headquarters, Masten ran payload integration facilities. They had a 750-square-foot class 100,000 cleanroom for spacecraft assembly and integration.
Nearby, a 300-square-foot facility handled extra testing and prep. These spaces kept payloads clean and ready for integration.
Masten’s team managed everything from mission design to ground systems, launch coordination, and post-landing support.
Payloads could stay attached to the lander or deploy on the lunar surface. They also supported orbital payload deployment during trans-lunar coast.
Masten Space Systems worked on advanced lunar lander technology and landed major NASA contracts for lunar south pole missions. Their XL-1 lander drew on years of rocket-powered landing experience, with over 600 successful test flights in the books.
Masten’s main lunar vehicle, the XL-1 lander, aims for pinpoint landings at the moon’s tough south pole. They built it up from their Xombie and Xoie test vehicles, which actually snagged NASA’s Lunar Lander X-Prize Challenge back in 2009.
The XL-1 packs some real technical punch. It hauls several payloads to the lunar surface and keeps running for at least 12 days after touchdown. Masten relies on rocket-powered landing tech they’ve dialed in over hundreds of test flights at their California site.
Key Technical Specifications:
Masten’s engineers use an iterative approach and move pretty fast on mission development. That lets them pivot quickly if customers want something different but still stick with their proven landing systems.
NASA handed Masten a $75.9 million contract to haul eight payloads—nine scientific instruments in total—to the lunar south pole. This contract stands out as a major win in NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which backs the Artemis initiative.
The mission zeroes in on the Haworth Crater near Malapert massif. Scientists see this spot as a goldmine for studying lunar ice and volatile stuff like methane, CO₂, and ammonia.
Masten covers the whole mission, end-to-end. They handle spacecraft development, mission planning, ground ops, payload integration, and support after landing. They even coordinate the launch vehicle and manage lunar operations.
The payloads bring advanced science gear. There’s a robotic arm to collect lunar samples, plus infrared imaging to document landings. A small rover will poke around nearby, hunting for water ice that could help future astronauts.
Before Astrobotic acquired them, Masten Space Systems worked on crucial lunar surface infrastructure. They focused on instant landing pad systems and other tech needed for sustainable lunar operations.
Masten came up with tech to whip up landing pads quickly on the lunar surface. This helps solve the huge problem of dust and debris flying around during landings.
Their system uses materials already on the Moon. It processes lunar regolith to make sturdy landing spots, so there’s no need to lug heavy construction stuff from Earth.
Key Benefits of Instant Landing Pads:
Once deployed, the landing pad system runs itself with barely any human input. That’s a big deal when crew time is scarce.
Masten tested these systems under NASA contracts worth $12.8 million. The results showed the tech can actually work in lunar-like conditions.
Masten didn’t stop at landing pads—they developed tech for broader infrastructure too. Their systems can build permanent structures right on the moon.
They focus on using lunar materials for construction. That means missions don’t need to carry as much weight from Earth, which cuts costs and headaches.
These systems can build habitats, storage, and equipment shelters. Automated processes do all the work, handling extreme moon temperatures and vacuum.
Construction Capabilities Include:
These infrastructure tools line up nicely with Astrobotic’s lunar delivery systems. Together, they offer a full package for setting up permanent lunar operations. That’s a big boost for science and commercial work on the Moon.
Masten Space Systems came up with a pretty wild way to pull water ice from the lunar surface—rocket-powered mining. Their ROCKET M system can churn out up to 420,000 kg of lunar water every year using controlled blasts and a vacuum collection setup.
The ROCKET M (Resource Ore Concentrator using Kinetic Energy Targeted Mining) system really changes the game for lunar water mining. It uses a 100 lbf rocket engine under a pressurized dome to blast lunar soil and dig out water ice.
It works in bursts—half-second rocket pulses dig craters over 2 meters deep. Blasted material gets sucked up by a vacuum system that separates ice from dust. The ice then gets stored for processing.
Masten built this system to fit on an eight-wheeled rover. The rover can mine up to 12 craters each day, pulling about 100 kg of ice per crater. That’s a lot of water for long-term moon stays.
They split the water into oxygen and hydrogen using solar-powered electrolysis. The rocket engine then gets refueled, and the system could keep going for five years.
Masten teamed up with Honeybee Robotics and Lunar Outpost for NASA’s Break the Ice Challenge. The goal? Design a rover that can extract 10,000 kg of water from the Aitken Basin near the moon’s south pole.
This lunar water mining technology can work around boulders and tough basalt. It doesn’t need heavy machinery or a lot of maintenance, so it’s cheap and reliable for long missions.
They started out testing with frozen regolith simulant in Mojave, California. The tests showed the idea works and gave them plenty of cratering data. Next up: building the full system and running more tests.
The tech targets the moon’s south pole, where scientists think there’s around 70 million kg of water ice.
Masten Space Systems built some pretty advanced navigation technologies for precise lunar landings and hazard avoidance. They put these systems through tons of simulations to make sure they work when it counts.
The Opal Terrain Relative Navigation system is Masten’s flagship navigation tech. It uses advanced sensors to map lunar terrain in real time as the lander descends.
Opal chews through visual data to find safe landing spots. It matches live images with stored maps, so the lander dodges rocks, craters, and whatever else is in the way.
This system shrinks landing ellipses from kilometers to just meters. Most spacecraft miss their targets by a lot, but Opal lets missions land right where they want—sometimes near specific resources or science sites.
Masten tied Opal together with a bunch of sensors. LiDAR measures distances, optical cameras snap detailed images, and inertial units track orientation and velocity.
Opal runs on its own—no ground control. With the lag between Earth and the Moon, you can’t fly these things in real time. Opal just makes the call during those last, nerve-wracking moments.
Masten runs heavy-duty simulation tests with their Xodiac rocket platform. This free-flying rocket mimics lunar landing conditions right here on Earth. They’ve flown hundreds of test flights over the years.
Every test checks out different navigation parts. Engineers set up landing scenarios—precision targeting, hazard dodging, even emergency aborts.
The Xodiac rocket can hit altitudes up to 1,200 feet. These flights really capture that final approach phase. Navigation Doppler Lidar tracks speed and altitude with crazy precision during each run.
Masten’s program has notched more successful rocket-powered landings than anyone else in commercial space. These tests prove the software works before anyone risks an expensive lunar mission. On top of that, they run thousands of virtual landing attempts on the ground.
NASA and other commercial partners test their own navigation tech at Masten’s site. The Jet Propulsion Lab even tested vision systems for landers on Masten rockets—tech that helped the Mars Perseverance rover stick its landing.
Masten Space Systems built some strong partnerships with NASA and big aerospace companies to push lunar exploration forward. They mixed their reusable rocket chops with specialized tech from folks like Honeybee Robotics, who know their way around sample collection and Mars missions.
Masten and Honeybee Robotics teamed up to bring the PlanetVac system to lunar missions. Masten brought their landing skills, while Honeybee supplied advanced sample collection tech.
PlanetVac uses pneumatic drilling to grab subsurface samples from the Moon. It creates suction with compressed gas, pulling material from under the surface—no complicated drilling needed.
Honeybee designed it for the Moon’s vacuum and wild temperature swings. The lightweight build fits within Masten’s payload limits but still delivers reliable sample grabs.
This partnership let both sides do what they do best. Masten handled landing and mission ops; Honeybee took care of the sampling hardware and software.
Masten pitched in on NASA’s Mars Curiosity mission by developing and testing tech. Their rocket-powered flight testing helped nail down landing technologies for Mars.
Their vertical takeoff and landing flights gave NASA real data on precision landing. These tests helped NASA figure out how spacecraft act during powered descents, just like on Mars.
Masten’s Mojave, California test site offered a controlled spot to check entry, descent, and landing tech. They ran over 600 successful flights, racking up tons of performance data.
They didn’t just test stuff—Masten also developed tech for hazard detection and autonomous navigation. These advances directly fed into NASA’s Mars goals and future plans.
Masten Space Systems brings their proven rocket-powered landing know-how to Mars and beyond. They use tech first built for lunar projects to help out with bigger commercial space ventures.
Masten rockets have already flown critical tech for interplanetary exploration, like NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s lander vision system on the Mars Curiosity mission.
This system lets spacecraft pick safer landing spots during descent.
The team’s autonomous landing tech goes straight into Mars missions.
They’ve shown off precise landings through hundreds of tests here on Earth, tackling the same headaches you’d get when landing on Mars or other planets.
Key interplanetary technologies include:
Masten’s FAST Landing Pads tech gives spacecraft stable surfaces for operations, no matter the planet.
Their NITE System, which started out for lunar night survival, adapts to wild temperature swings all over the solar system.
They use a reusable rocket approach that cuts costs for interplanetary mission testing.
Multiple flight tests prove the systems before anyone risks pricey deep space hardware.
Commercial space companies tap into Masten’s flight-tested interplanetary tech.
They’ve flown payloads for Astrobotic’s OPAL terrain navigation and Honeybee Robotics’ PlanetVac sample collection.
These partnerships really show how lunar mission know-how jumps into commercial uses.
Companies working on Mars rovers or asteroid mining gear can test their stuff on Masten’s rocket platforms right here on Earth.
Technology transfer areas include:
Small teams and quick iteration cycles help Masten’s partners move faster than the old-school aerospace giants.
Their reusable landers make experimental tech testing affordable for missions headed far from home.
Masten offers full mission packages, handling everything from payload development to final surface ops on other worlds.
Masten Space Systems ran things from two main locations for its vertical takeoff and landing rocket work.
They based their main operations at Mojave Air and Space Port in California, and kept propulsion testing going in Pittsburgh.
Masten set up headquarters and primary testing at Mojave Air and Space Port in California.
This place became their hub for rocket development and flight testing.
The Mojave site gave them room for vertical takeoff and landing tests.
They pulled off over 600 successful rocket-powered landings here with all sorts of test vehicles.
Key testing platforms included:
Mojave Air and Space Port brought controlled airspace and special infrastructure for rocket testing.
The team backed up flight tests with loads of computer simulations before anything left the ground.
NASA and other agencies used Masten’s Mojave ops for flight demo services.
This spot supported a bunch of tech development programs under federal contracts.
Masten kept propulsion testing running in Pittsburgh to support engine development.
These facilities backed up Mojave by giving them a place for specialized engine testing.
The Pittsburgh centers focused on propulsion system development and validation.
Here, Masten tested rocket engines and hardware in controlled environments.
They used these centers for different engine programs.
The Pittsburgh sites let them dive into detailed propulsion research and development, apart from full vehicle testing.
Extra capacity here helped with Masten’s growing portfolio of propulsion hardware.
Having sites in both places meant they could keep propulsion expertise separate while running vehicle tests in California.
Masten keeps pushing reusable launch tech and lunar equipment with PermiAM 3D printing and autonomous systems.
They’re all-in on next-generation propulsion systems and expanding planetary surface operations.
Masten’s reusable rocket tech centers on vertical takeoff and landing platforms.
These systems act as testbeds for new space tech and entry descent landing validation.
Their PermiAM additive manufacturing shakes up rocket part production.
It lets them make complicated engine parts, like transpiration-cooled injectors, as single pieces from different metals.
Traditional builds need over 100 parts—way too many spots for things to go wrong.
Electric cryogenic pumps are another leap.
These 3D-printed pumps run with 5,000 lbf engine propulsion systems.
They throttle better than old turbopumps and keep things simpler and cheaper.
The pumps work with methane, oxygen, and hydrogen.
Their light design makes propellant transfer and refueling easier for sample return missions.
That feature is pretty crucial for longer space operations.
Masten builds gear for planetary surface ops.
The NITE System helps landers survive lunar night, when temps drop to -387°F.
It provides heat and power by oxidizing metal using leftover lander propellant.
The system kicks in on its own when it gets cold enough.
Landers and payloads can stretch missions for at least 12 months with this tech.
FAST Landing Pads tackle dust issues during landings.
Sharp regolith can wreck landers, payloads, and gear—not to mention put astronauts at risk.
This system injects ceramic particles into rocket nozzles, making instant landing pads.
Masten’s Rocket Mining System pulls more than 420,000 kg of water a year from lunar ice.
Rocket plumes under pressurized domes stir up ice particles, and a vacuum system stores the water for drinking, fuel, and other needs.
Masten Space Systems built specialized lunar technologies and vertical takeoff rockets before filing for bankruptcy in 2022.
They created systems for surviving lunar nights, mining water from ice, and building landing pads on other worlds.
Masten aimed to make long-term lunar operations possible with their precision landing tech.
They built lunar landers to deliver payloads and equipment to exact spots on the Moon.
Their main goal focused on building sustainable lunar infrastructure.
Masten’s landers supported both commercial and government customers working toward a permanent Moon presence.
They also wanted to prove reliable vertical takeoff and landing.
That way, spacecraft could land precisely and maybe even return to orbit for another mission.
Masten specialized in vertical takeoff and landing rockets, notching up more successful rocket landings than anyone else.
Their testbed vehicles let customers check out space tech before real missions.
They developed the NITE System, which keeps spacecraft warm and powered during lunar nights by using metal oxidation with extra propellant.
This can keep things running for up to a year.
Masten made FAST Landing Pads that spray ceramic particles through rocket nozzles during landing.
It builds a protective layer over lunar dust, shielding landers and nearby gear.
Their PermiAM process lets them 3D print rocket engine parts as one piece, cutting out over 100 parts and boosting performance while lowering costs.
Masten worked closely with NASA on lunar landing tech and research missions.
They provided flight test services to help NASA validate entry, descent, and landing systems with their reusable rockets.
Their terrestrial rocket testbeds served both commercial and government clients.
These partnerships let organizations reduce risk and mature their tech before heading to space.
Masten joined NASA programs focused on lunar infrastructure.
Their precision landing skills backed NASA’s plans for sustainable Moon exploration and, eventually, Mars.
Masten pulled off more rocket-powered vertical landings than anyone else in the industry.
They built and flew reusable rockets for nearly twenty years before bankruptcy.
Their tech included operational NITE Systems for lunar night survival and Rocket Mining Systems that could extract 420,000 kg of water a year.
These innovations pushed lunar resource use forward.
They also showed off FAST Landing Pad tech and 3D-printed rocket injectors.
But in July 2022, Masten filed for bankruptcy and stopped active development.
Masten built reusable vertical takeoff and landing vehicles that could fly more than once.
This approach cuts costs and waste compared to rockets you throw away after one flight.
Their Rocket Mining System pulls water from lunar ice for drinking, fuel, and other needs.
That means spacecraft can refuel on the Moon instead of hauling everything from Earth.
Their electric cryogenic pumps give better throttling and lower complexity and cost.
These lightweight pumps help with propellant transfer and refueling for sample return missions.
Masten’s lunar PNT network sets up GPS-like navigation on the Moon with surface-based sensors.
This infrastructure supports multiple missions and means individual spacecraft don’t need to carry heavy navigation gear.
Masten ran educational opportunities through their terrestrial flight test programs. They brought rocket technology out in the open, showing it off to industry partners.
These demos highlighted vertical takeoff and landing skills to commercial customers and government agencies. You could actually see the technology in action, not just read about it.
The team also shared what they knew about lunar survival systems and ways to extract resources beyond Earth. Their NITE System and Rocket Mining tech offered hands-on examples of tackling tough space exploration problems.
Still, you won’t find many details about official educational programs or big public outreach campaigns. When Masten filed for bankruptcy in 2022, most of their active programs and community engagement just stopped.
