| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin |
|---|---|
| Designer | Lockheed Martin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Operator | Lockheed Martin |
| Applications | Commercial cargo lander |
| Specifications | |
| Spacecraft type | Robotic lunar lander |
| Payload capacity | 250 kg (550 lb)[1] |
| Power | 400 W[1] from a single solar array on a boom |
| Design life | 1 lunar day (14 Earth days)[1] |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | Height: >2 m (6 ft 7 in)[1] |
| Diameter | 3 m (9.8 ft)[1] |
| Production | |
| Status | Designed |
| On order | 0 |
| Built | 0 |
| Related spacecraft | |
| Derived from | Phoenix andInSight landers |
McCandless Lunar Lander, also known as theMcCandless Lunar Delivery Service, is a concept for a robotic lunar lander proposed as one of the commercial cargo vehicles for NASA'sCommercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS). The lander was proposed to NASA for funding by the aerospace companyLockheed Martin, and it is based on the successful Mars landersPhoenix andInSight.
On 29 November 2018, NASA announced the first nine companies, including Lockheed Martin, that are allowed to bid on contracts by theCommercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS).[2] These contracts are[clarification needed]indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts with a combined maximum contract value of $2.6 billion during the next 10 years.[2] The contracted landers will transport commercial payloads focused on exploration,in situ resource utilization (ISRU), and lunar science.[citation needed]
TheMcCandless lander is named in honor of the late astronaut and former Lockheed Martin employeeBruce McCandless II, who in 1984 performed the first free-flying spacewalk without a lifeline to the orbiting Space Shuttle, using a jetpack built by the company.[3]
TheMcCandless lander design is based on the successfulPhoenix andInSight Mars landers, designed and built by Lockheed Martin forNASA.[4] The lander is being proposed to the new Commercial Lunar Payload Services program (CLPS) to deliver to the lunar surface up to 250 kg (550 lb) of usable payload,[5][1] including stationary scientific instruments, small deployable rovers,ISRU experiments, or even sample-return vehicles.[4][1]
The lander's system incorporates on-board radars and a set of rocket thrusters for deceleration and soft-landing. It will not need theaeroshell andheat shield, as the Moon has no atmosphere. The lander is presently designed to operate for one lunar day (14 Earth days), but upgrades for enduring the lunar nights can be considered depending on mission requirements.[1]