{"id":17814,"date":"2020-01-29T23:57:17","date_gmt":"2020-01-29T15:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/xplore-partners-with-nanoracks-to-set-up-opportunities-for-deep-space-missions\/"},"modified":"2020-01-29T23:57:17","modified_gmt":"2020-01-29T15:57:17","slug":"xplore-partners-with-nanoracks-to-set-up-opportunities-for-deep-space-missions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/xplore-partners-with-nanoracks-to-set-up-opportunities-for-deep-space-missions\/","title":{"rendered":"Xplore partners with Nanoracks to set up opportunities for deep-space missions"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Xplore
An artist\u2019s conception shows Xplore\u2019s Xcraft probe making its way to the moon. (Xplore Illustration)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Seattle-based Xplore says it\u2019s joining forces with Houston-based Nanoracks to create low-cost rideshare opportunities for payloads heading for the moon, Mars and other destinations beyond Earth orbit.<\/p>\n

The partnership takes advantage of the commercial approach to deep-space exploration that\u2019s being pioneered at NASA under Administrator Jim Bridenstine, said Lisa Rich, Xplore\u2019s chief operating officer and co-founder.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re the perfect fit for Bridenstine\u2019s goal of NASA being one partner of many partners,\u201d she told GeekWire today.<\/p>\n

Nanoracks will provide customer-facing services for payload design, preparation and integration on Xplore\u2019s missions \u2014 potentially starting with Moon Xpeditions, a lunar mission that Xplore is targeting for launch in late 2021.<\/p>\n

The arrangement builds on Nanoracks\u2019 experience working with payloads and hardware for the International Space Station.<\/p>\n

\u201cCommercial space no longer stops at low Earth orbit,\u201d Nanoracks CEO Jeffrey Manber said in a news release. \u201cXplore paves the way for commercial utilization and services to the moon, Mars and beyond. We are truly excited at Nanoracks to be working with Xplore to bring our commercial knowledge from low Earth orbit into deep-space exploration.\u201d<\/p>\n

Xplore was founded in 2017 by Lisa Rich and CEO Jeff Rich, who are also managing partners of Hemisphere Ventures in Seattle. Hemisphere has invested in more than 200 companies, including space ventures ranging from SpaceX to Vector Launch and Axiom Space. Up to now, Xplore has been privately funded, but Lisa Rich said that \u201cnow we\u2019re at the point that we\u2019re raising a seed round.\u201d<\/p>\n

The heart of Xplore\u2019s business model is the Xcraft, a spacecraft that\u2019s designed to be mounted on a standard payload adapter known as an ESPA ring. It\u2019ll be capable of carrying 30 to 70 kilograms (66 to 154 pounds) of payload in a volume amounting to a little less than 2 cubic feet (0.05 cubic meters, or 50U in Cubesat terms).<\/p>\n

\u201cTraditionally, when you look at the size of a spacecraft, maybe only 10 to 15 percent of the mass is the payload bay,\u201d Rich said. \u201cOur elegant engineering and design have allowed for 40 percent of the mass to be payload.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rich said that should help drive down launch costs, although she declined to give a projected price list. \u201cIt\u2019s one-twentieth of the cost of existing missions to deep-space destinations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

There are a few question marks surrounding the venture: For example, Rich isn\u2019t ready to say who\u2019ll be building the Xcraft hardware. \u201cWe are currently considering a state-of-the-art facility that is appropriate for building Xcraft,\u201d she told GeekWire.<\/p>\n