Astrobotic says Griffin can deliver nearly 1,400 pounds (625 kilograms) of payload mass to the lunar surface, while Peregrine has a payload capacity of up to 220 pounds (100 kilograms).

Astrobotic launched its Peregrine lander in January on United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan Centaur rocket. Peregrine became the first U.S. commercial lunar lander to operate in space.

NASA’s second thoughts about VIPER opened an opportunity for someone else to book that ride to the moon. Just because its cargo was canceled did not mean Astrobotic’s journey was off — it ...

Polaris, from Astrobotic Technology Inc. in Pittsburgh, is rolled out of a lab in October 2012 at Carnegie Mellon University. Astrobotic is planning on a mission to one of the moon's poles in 2015.