Castrol in Mission Control
Castrol are proud to have collaborated with Lunar Outpost to develop a bold new Mission Control for their inaugural mission to the Moon.
Our collaboration with Lunar Outpost
More than 50 years after our space-grade lubricants supported NASA’s historic Apollo missions, we're proud to have collaborated and supported the development of an all-new mission control. In collaboration with Lunar Outpost, a leading lunar mobility company pioneering robotic infrastructure, we supported the design and built a groundbreaking Mission Control Center at their headquarters in Colorado, Denver – which will be instrumental in future Lunar Outpost missions.
Our collaboration began in 2023, supporting Lunar Outpost’s Lunar Voyage 1 (LV1) mission by combining Castrol’s decades of space heritage with advanced ground-based technology expertise. As Lunar Outpost’s inaugural mission to the Moon, Lunar Voyage 1 helped to pave the way for future crewed Artemis missions – and for space exploration as we know it.
The role of Mission Control
At its core, Mission Control acts as the central hub of the entire operation – providing a physical space to monitor the mission as it unfolds, and connecting the rover in space with scientists, engineers, and stakeholders on Earth.
During the mission, Mission Control monitored and operated MAPP – the mission’s lunar rover – using Stargate Mission Control software to manage spacecraft operations, data, and payloads in real time. Four dedicated teams worked around the clock in shifts, ensuring a constant state of close monitoring throughout the mission. Our work with Lunar Outpost helped to create a Mission Control Center that not only supported LV1, but will now continue to support their future lunar missions.
Castrol in Mission Control
Step inside the Mission Control Center with Forrest Meyen, COO at Lunar Outpost, developed in collaboration with Castrol, and learn why it sits at the heart of the mission.
Who are Lunar Outpost?
Lunar Outpost is an industry leader in space robotics, lunar surface mobility, and space resources. The company is on a mission to enable an extended human presence in space while utilising its vast resources to drive progress on Earth. For its leading role in accelerating the cislunar economy, Lunar Outpost was named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, and their growing impact spans the entire solar system – the Earth, the Moon, and Mars.
Lunar Voyage 1 Mission
Lunar Outpost embarked on a historic voyage to the Lunar South Pole in February 2025 – a mission of firsts. Designed to test new robotics, science payloads, and exploration technologies in one of the most extreme environments in space. It aimed to advance lunar resource exploration and demonstrate how commercial missions can support a sustained human presence on the Moon.
While the lander carrying the MAPP rover experienced a hard landing that prevented the mission from continuing as planned, the rover successfully transmitted data back to Mission Control after touchdown, providing valuable insights and marking a significant milestone for commercial lunar exploration.
The extremes of the Lunar South Pole
Setting the stage for crewed Artemis missions
The Lunar South Pole is one of the most extreme environments ever explored, with its dark, shadowed craters reaching temperatures below -230°C. These regions are believed to contain ice, a critically important resource of interest for future lunar missions, while nearby peaks receive near-continuous sunlight, offering a potential source of solar power.
Because of these unique conditions, the Lunar South Pole is expected to play a key role in NASA’s future Artemis missions and the long-term goal of establishing a sustained human presence beyond Earth.
Drive Me To The Moon documentary
Castrol are proud to present 'Drive Me To The Moon' – a firsthand look at Lunar Outpost's inaugural mission to the Moon.
The documentary offers a rare look at what it truly takes to reach the Lunar South Pole. We want you to meet the people rewriting the rules of space exploration, discover the technology pushing boundaries beyond Earth, and witness the evolution of a rapidly changing space landscape.
A connected collaboration: MIT Media Lab Astro Ant
One of the unique elements of Lunar Outpost’s LV1 mission was the inclusion of MIT Media Lab’s AstroAnt payload – a miniature robotic ‘ant’ mounted on top of the MAPP Rover, designed to collect data from the Moon’s surface.
Castrol also collaborated with MIT Media Lab on the AstroAnt programme by supplying our space-grade lubricant for the miniature robot’s wheels, helping support performance in the extreme conditions of the Lunar South Pole.
