posted 11-29-2016 02:00 PM               

Part Time Scientists reserve rocket to land Audi moon rovers at Apollo 17 site

A Berlin-based group of rocket scientists and engineers are aiming to land a pair of privately-funded Audi-branded robotic rovers on the moon and drive them to inspect NASA's Apollo 17 lunar roving vehicle, marking 45 years since humans last drove on another world.

PTScientists (Part Time Scientists), one of 16 teams still in the running for the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE, has been developing its Autonomous Landing and Navigation Module (ALINA) lunar lander and Audi lunar quattro rovers since 2008. Now, the team has secured a launch contract with Spaceflight Inc., a rocket rideshare broker in Seattle.

"It's the last piece of the puzzle" said Robert Bohme, CEO of PTScientists, in a statement released on Tuesday (Nov. 29). "We have been busy designing and testing our rovers, developing our transport and landing spacecraft, and now we have secured our ride to space."

posted 03-19-2017 11:25 AM               

Stay connected — even on the Moon

PTScientists teams up with Vodafone Germany to bring mobile data roaming to the surface of the Moon — and the cost needn't be astronomical!

No need to worry about letting people know that you've arrived safely on the Moon — you'll be able to check in on Facebook and send a selfie from the lunar surface thanks to a new partnership between Berlin-based PTScientists and international (soon to be lunar) mobile communications operator Vodafone.

The pioneering new-space company, PTScientists, are working with Vodafone to deliver the first mobile data (4G LTE) base-station to the lunar surface. Not only will this enable super-fast data access for those of you who make it to the Moon, but it will provide essential communications support their upcoming Mission to the Moon.

"This is a crucial first step for sustainable exploration of the solar system" says PTScientists CEO Robert Boehme. "In order for humanity to leave the cradle of Earth, we need to develop infrastructures beyond our home planet. With Mission to the Moon we will establish and test the first elements of a dedicated communications network on the Moon."

Investing in vital infrastructure is always costly, and the additional hurdle of launching equipment into space only adds to the expense. But PTScientists have designed their lunar lander, ALINA, to double up as a communications base station in order to keep costs down.

In addition, using commercially available technology that's already in a billion mobile devices on Earth, PTScientists are creating a network that will be accessible to future lunar explorers - and maybe even the first settlers on the Moon.

PTScientists aim to be the first commercial company to land on the Moon and will be launching their mission next year. They are sending a pair of small, but sophisticated, rovers to explore the final landing site in the US Apollo programme.

"Our rovers are packed with sensors and equipped with high definition cameras" says PTScientists electrical engineer and rover driver Karsten Becker. "We will be collecting a lot of scientific data on the Moon and the high-speed data connectivity that LTE gives us will enable the rovers to communicate with ALINA to send that valuable data back to Earth".

The benefit of using LTE data connectivity is that it uses drastically less energy than traditional radio communications. This means that large amounts of data can be transferred from the rover, via ALINA, and back to Earth, without the risk of draining the rovers' batteries, or requiring them to stop each time they have data to transmit. "The less energy we use sending data, the more we have to do science!" says Boehme.

Once the ALINA spacecraft has safely landed the pair of Audi lunar quattro rovers on the Moon, it will act as a base station enabling high speed data connectivity between all vehicles. What's more, it can also be used as a navigation beacon for future missions landing on the lunar surface.

"Together with the PTScientists we are embarking on a journey to space, enabling Germany's first private Moon landing. All whilst establishing the first LTE network in space." says the CEO of Vodafone Germany, Hannes Ametsreiter. "With this this step we are laying the groundwork for all future moon missions to come. When Elon Musk sends his first private passengers to Orbit the Moon in 2018 or ESA opens the doors of its moon village our Vodafone LTE network will already be there. With our contribution, we don't just want to enable space based infrastructures but show that with bravery, pioneering spirit and inventive talent made in Germany great things can be achieved.".

The consumer market for mobile data on the Moon may be some way off, but PTScientists believe that building versatile infrastructures is the key to make humanity a fully-fledged space-faring species. Not only will they reap the benefit of connectivity during next year's Mission to the Moon, but they are delivering an important first piece of equipment for a future space communications network.

posted 12-07-2017 08:05 AM               

PTScientists 'Mission to the Moon' to take care not to harm Apollo 17 landing site

A German company aiming to send robotic rovers on the first mission to return to the last Apollo moon landing site has pledged to respect and protect the historic artifacts present there.

PTScientists announced it has entered a partnership with For All Moonkind, an organization that is advocating for the preservation of human heritage in space. The news of the partnership was timed to mark the 45th anniversary of the launch of NASA's Apollo 17 mission on Thursday (Dec. 7).

posted 04-10-2018 03:13 PM               

PTScientists signs Red Bull Media House as Media Partner for Mission to the Moon

PTScientists has signed Red Bull Media House as the exclusive media partner for Mission to the Moon, enabling them to bring the world on their journey to the Moon. The announcement was made at MIPTV in Cannes, one of the largest trade shows for TV and media.

New-space company PTScientists aims to make history with the first private space mission to land on the surface of the Moon, and will also pay tribute to the Apollo programme by visiting the original lunar roving vehicle from Apollo 17. PTScientists will capture the first high-resolution images of the 'Moon buggy' since it Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt left it on the lunar surface in 1972.

"We want to create an "Apollo moment" for a new generation," comments PTScientists' CEO and Founder, Robert Boehme.

Mission to the Moon will see a pair of Audi lunar quattro rovers delivered to the Moon's Taurus-Littrow valley by PTScientists' ALINA spacecraft, which will then double-up as communications base station. A Vodafone 4G lunar-surface network will allow the rovers to send data back to the lander, which will then transmit it back to Earth.

"Red Bull Media House is a great addition to Mission to the Moon" says Boehme. "These days competition for attention is fierce, and with so many devices and media forms available we needed to find a media partner who could engage people on multiple platforms, reaching them wherever they are."

Red Bull Media House will develop, produce and license the mission's live broadcasts, behind the scenes footage, feature documentaries and additional content, as well as managing the project's global conversation across all social channels and media outlets around the world. Their coverage of Mission to the Moon will include:

• Three LIVE Programs featuring multi-device compatible, HD images from outer space from various camera angles including the start of the mission from Earth, the landing of ALINA on the Moon and the first glimpse of Apollo 17's lunar roving vehicle, captured by the Audi lunar quattros

• A three-part documentary series of 52-minutes each chronicling the journey of the space pioneers from inception to accomplishment, produced by Terra Mater Factual Studios, producer of "The Ivory Game" (shortlisted for the best feature documentary Oscar 2017)

• Various hardcover and print editions as well as audio and musical events and licensing assets

"People often share their memories of where they were when they watched Apollo 11 land on the Moon" says Boehme. "We want Mission to the Moon to provide that sort of excitement and inspiration for the next generation of space pioneers."

Red Bull Media House will be the mission's exclusive global media production and distribution partner. All related media products are available for licensing to partners who are inspired by this mission.

posted 12-11-2018 09:55 AM               

PTScientists Executes a Historic First

Private New Space Company Headed to the Moon Sets the Example for Preservation of Human History

PTScientists, a German private space company aiming to be the first private mission to land on the Moon, and For All Moonkind, the only organization in the world focused on preserving human heritage in outer space, today announced that PTScientists has become the first organization to execute the Declaration of Objectives and Agreements Regarding Cultural Heritage in Outer Space. The Declaration recognizes the existence of human cultural heritage sites in outer space and seeks the implementation of certain preliminary steps to manage and balance preservation goals with exploration of space and utilization of space resources.

Sites in outer space which contain human artifacts – like the site where Luna 2, the first human-made object to reach another celestial body impacted the Moon in September 1959 and Tranquility Base, where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left humanity's first off-world footprints – are vulnerable to destruction and damage because they are not protected or even recognized as heritage sites by any international law, agreement, regulation, principle or guideline. "This is untenable," said Michelle Hanlon, Co-Founder of For All Moonkind, "especially given the number of return missions that are currently planned for the Moon by both governmental and commercial entities."

"Humanity's first steps on the Moon memorialize the universality of our species, our unrelenting need to explore and our incredible capacity for innovation and technological achievement," Hanlon continued. "The traces of our first missions to the Moon deserve the same respect, attention and protection as any evidence of human achievement, like the Pyramids of Egypt, Museum Island in Berlin or the Pueblo Cave Dwellings in Mesa Verde. In signing this Declaration, PTScientists has embraced its corporate responsibility, not just to our generation, but to our future."

"We pledged our support to For All Moonkind more than one year ago," said Robert Boehme, CEO of PTScientists. "We are delighted to follow up with this formal document – and hope our New Space peers and 'Old Space' muses will join us in this important effort to preserve the history that clearly inspired all of us to reach for the Moon and stars," Boehme continued. "By taking responsibility for preservation without waiting for government regulations, we will demonstrate our industry's collective willingness to be held accountable for our own space activities."

The Declaration of Objectives and Agreements Regarding Cultural Heritage in Outer Space is open for signature. Since the preservation of history affects all of humanity, PTScientists and For All Moonkind encourage all commercial entities, nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions and governmental agencies, to execute the document whether or not they are actively planning any space activities.

posted 01-21-2019 11:23 AM               

PTScientists to examine future ESA mission on in-situ resource utilisation on the Moon

The European Space Agency (ESA) and ArianeGroup, as prime contractor of a consortium of Arianegroup, Space Application Services and PTScientists, have signed a contract to study and prepare ESA's planned ISRU mission.

In space, in-situ resource use (ISRU) is the practice of collecting, processing, storing and using materials found or produced on other celestial bodies (Moon, Mars, asteroids, etc.) to replace materials that would otherwise be brought from Earth.

The ESA mission focuses on the use of the lunar regolith. Being able to extract water and oxygen from regolith is a prerequisite for a sustainable presence of humans on the Moon. In addition, the necessary fuel for future missions into deeper parts of the solar system could be produced in this way.

ArianeGroup and its subsidiary Arianespace, which will provide the Ariane 6 launch vehicle, the Berlin-based new-space startup PTScientists, which will provide the lunar lander, and the Belgian company Space Applications Services, which will provide ground segment, communications and related services, have joined forces to conduct this study.

The innovative and wholly European consortium will be able to provide services for the entire mission, from launch to transport of the payloads required for the ESA mission to the Moon, landing on the Moon's surface and communication back to Earth.

"We are very pleased with the confidence placed in us by the European Space Agency ESA. The award of the ISRU study to the strong consortium of ArianeGroup, SAS and PTScientists underlines the current shift in the space industry" says Robert Böhme, CEO and founder of PTScientists GmbH.

"The use of space resources could be a key to sustainable lunar exploration and this study is part of ESA's comprehensive plan to make Europe a partner in global exploration in the next decade - a plan we will put to our Ministers for decision later this year at the Space19+ Conference," added Dr. David Parker; Director, Human and Robotic Exploration at ESA.

posted 05-08-2019 10:07 AM               

PTScientists and ArianeGroup agree on far-reaching cooperation for lunar missions

PTScientists and ArianeGroup have today agreed in Berlin on a far-reaching cooperation. The contract governs the cooperation between the two companies for future Moon missions such as the planned ISRU mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and beyond.

The signing took place at the Zeiss-Grossplanetarium in Berlin in the presence of Thomas Jarzombek, Coordinator of the Federal Government for Aerospace and ESA Director for Human Spaceflight and Robotic Exploration, David Parker.

Against the background of intensifying international competition in the field of lunar missions, the agreement underlines the will and ambition of PTScientists to position itself as a globally leading European provider of lunar surface transport services for private and institutional customers, with the support of ArianeGroup as the European space transport provider towards the lunar orbit.

"We are very honoured by the trust ArianeGroup has placed in us," said Robert Boehme, CEO and founder of PTScientists. "For PTScientists, this is an important milestone in the development of our young company. Together, we will create a 100% European offering to provide cost-effective access to the Moon." added Boehme.

PTScientists will provide the autonomous landing and navigation module ALINA, a spacecraft with a payload capacity of up to 300kg, while ArianeGroup will contribute its new high-performance launch vehicle Ariane 64 and its many years of expertise in the field of propulsion systems.

"The Moon is a key goal for ArianeGroup and with Ariane 64 Europe has the means to get there. The European launcher has all the capabilities necessary for Moon missions and can offer space transport services to lunar orbit," said ArianeGroup CEO André Hubert Roussel. "This first contract with a European start-up is an excellent example of win–win cooperation. It demonstrates European industry's ability to reinvent itself and create a real space team for Europe through agile, disruptive partnerships. This is a perfect alliance between a long-standing European player in the global space sector and a representative of what New Space does best. This joint project is ambitious and holds great promise for the entire space community. With this partnership of specialist skills, the offer for transporting equipment to the Moon's surface is now complete."

"It is ESA's role to challenge and promote innovation in the European space industry. I, therefore, welcome the cooperation agreed today between PTScientists and ArianeGroup with the aim of providing transportation services to the Moon. Customers worldwide could benefit, including ESA for its proposed space resources mission, part of our proposal for the Space19+ Conference later this year". said David Parker, ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration

In January 2019, ArianeGroup and PTScientists announced that they were working on a study for the planned In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) mission. In space, ISRU is the practice of collecting, processing, storing and using materials found or produced on other celestial bodies, such as the Moon, to replace materials that would otherwise be brought from Earth.

The ISRU mission focuses on the use of lunar regolith. The ability to extract water and oxygen from regolith is a prerequisite for a sustainable human presence on the Moon. It could also be the basis for the fuel needed for future missions to deeper parts of the solar system.

posted 07-09-2019 08:19 AM               

PTScientists pushes Moon Mission despite preliminary insolvency

PTScientists GmbH, a Berlin-based New Space start-up, filed for preliminary insolvency proceedings pursuant to the German Insolvency Code (Insolvenzordnung) at the Berlin Charlottenburg Local Court on Friday, July 5, 2019. The background to this is that unplanned delays had occurred in the acquisition of further investor and promotion funds for the planned lunar mission.

The resulting liquidity shortage made the application legally necessary. Attorney Sascha Feies was appointed provisional insolvency administrator. The business operations and research projects of the scientific enterprise continue without restrictions, even in the context of the insolvency.

PTScientists works with space experts on a European lunar mission

PTScientists' engineers are continuing their work to make the first European lunar mission a reality. They are the only company in Europe to have a lunar landing device at an advanced stage of development. PTScientists collaborates at European level with the European Space Agency ESA and ArianeGroup.

ArianeGroup and PTScientists are conducting a joint study for a future ESA lunar mission. This "ISRU" mission will test technical methods for using the Moon's resources.

"The petition for insolvency proceedings sets us back a little, since we first have to secure the further financing of the company together with the insolvency administrator," says Robert Boehme, founder and CEO of PTScientists. "But due to the clear progress and success we have achieved in the last months, we have the best prerequisites to emerge stronger from the insolvency proceedings and implement our lunar mission as planned."

Sascha Feies appointed provisional insolvency administrator

The local court Charlottenburg, Berlin, has appointed the attorney Sascha Feies of the Kanzlei GÖRG as the provisional insolvency manager. Over the next few days, the experienced insolvency expert will review documents and talk to the company's managers to find out about financing and subsidy options, and thus continuation options, for the space company and its approximately 60 employees, including a large number of highly qualified engineers and scientists.

posted 09-03-2019 09:20 AM               

German Moon Mission Finds Investor

The Berlin based space start-up PTScientists was successfully sold to an aerospace company with effect from September 1st 2019. Silence has been agreed on the purchase price and the name of the buyer.

PTScientists filed for insolvency on July 5th, 2019, due to unplanned delays in promoting additional investor and sponsorship funds. Insolvency administrator Sascha Feies of the law office GÖRG spoke to numerous potential investors in recent weeks. The solution, which has now been achieved, not only secures the jobs of the approximately 60 employees but also ensures that the research and development work of the highly innovative space company of the first European lunar landing mission can be continued without delay.

"PTScientists is a highly respected company in the aviation and aerospace industry with real innovative strength, as the discussions over the last few weeks have shown," explains insolvency administrator Sascha Feies from the law office GÖRG. "I am very pleased that we have found a really good solution so quickly, which not only ensures the continued existence of the company and the jobs but also allows the experts of PTScientists to continue the European lunar mission as planned."

PTScientists is the only company in Europe that has a lunar lander at an advanced stage of development. The company is investigating the transport of scientific payloads using the lunar resources to the lunar surface as part of a study for the planned ISRU mission of the European Space Agency ESA.

Effective from September 1st, 2019, all of the company's assets were sold to an aerospace company as part of a transferring restructuring program. With the successful sale, the jobs of the approximate 60 PTScientists employees, most of them highly qualified engineers and scientists, will be maintained. Research and development under the ISRU mission will continue as planned.

posted 09-09-2019 10:02 PM               

Following the acquisition by an aerospace company, we changed our name from PTScientists to Planetary Transportation Systems.