Technology

NASA Awards Intuitive Machines Lunar South Pole Research Delivery

Published

2 years ago

August 29, 2024

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A new set of NASA science experiments and technology demonstrations will arrive at the lunar South Pole in 2027 following the agency’s latest CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative delivery award. Intuitive Machines of Houston will receive $116.9 million to deliver six NASA payloads to a part of the Moon where nighttime temperatures are frigid, the terrain is rugged, and the permanently shadowed regions could help reveal the origin of water throughout our solar system.

Part of the agency’s broader Artemis campaign, CLPS aims to conduct science on the Moon for the benefit of all, including experiments and demos that support missions with crew on the lunar surface.

“This marks the 10th CLPS delivery NASA has awarded, and the fourth planned for delivery to the South Pole of the Moon,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “By supporting a robust cadence of CLPS flights to a variety of locations on the lunar surface, including two flights currently planned by companies for later this year, NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before.”

NASA has awarded Intuitive Machine’s four task orders. The company delivered six NASA payloads to Malapert A in the South Pole region of the Moon in early 2024. With this lunar South Pole delivery, Intuitive Machines will be responsible for payload integration, launch from Earth, safe landing on the Moon, and mission operations.

“The instruments on this newly awarded flight will help us achieve multiple scientific objectives and strengthen our understanding of the Moon’s environment,” said Chris Culbert, manager of the CLPS initiative at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “For example, they’ll help answer key questions about where volatiles – such as water, ice, or gas – are found on the lunar surface and measure radiation in the South Pole region, which could advance our exploration efforts on the Moon and help us with continued exploration of Mars.”

The instruments, collectively expected to be about 174 pounds (79 kilograms) in mass, include:

The Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications will deliver yeast to the lunar surface and study its response to radiation and lunar gravity. The payload is managed by NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California.Package for Resource Observation and In-Situ Prospecting for Exploration, Characterization and Testing is a suite of instruments that will drill down to 3.3 feet (1 meter) beneath the lunar surface, extract samples, and process them in-situ in a miniaturized laboratory, to identify possible volatiles (water, ice, or gas) trapped at extremely cold temperatures under the surface. This suite is led by ESA (European Space Agency).The Laser Retroreflector Array is a collection of eight retroreflectors that will enable lasers to precisely measure the distance between a spacecraft and the reflector on the lander. The array is a passive optical instrument and will function as a permanent location marker on the Moon for decades to come. The retroflector array is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.The Surface Exosphere Alterations by Landers will investigate the chemical response of lunar regolith to the thermal, physical, and chemical disturbances generated during a landing, and evaluate contaminants injected into the regolith by the lander. It will give insight into how a spacecraft landing might affect the composition of samples collected nearby. This payload is managed by NASA Goddard.The Fluxgate Magnetometer will characterize certain magnetic fields to improve the understanding of energy and particle pathways at the lunar surface and is managed by NASA Goddard.The Lunar Compact Infrared Imaging System will deploy a radiometer – a device that measures infrared wavelengths of light – to explore the Moon’s surface composition, map its surface temperature distribution, and demonstrate the instrument’s feasibility for future lunar resource utilization activities. The imaging system is managed by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Under CLPS, multiple commercial deliveries to different geographic regions will help NASA conduct science and continue working toward a long-term human presence on the Moon. Future deliveries will include sophisticated science experiments, and technology demonstrations as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign. Two upcoming CLPS flights slated to launch near the end of 2024 will deliver NASA payloads to the Moon’s nearside and South Pole, including the Intuitive Machines-2 delivery of NASA’s first on-site demonstration of searching for water and other chemical compounds 3.3 feet below the surface of the Moon, using a drill and mass spectrometer.

Learn more about CLPS and Artemis at:

https://www.nasa.gov/clps

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SOURCE NASA

Technology

Jtibot Showcases Autonomous Outdoor Sweeping Innovation at Interclean Amsterdam 2026, Accelerating European Market Expansion

Published

6 minutes ago

April 24, 2026

AMSTERDAM, April 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Jtibot, a developer of autonomous outdoor cleaning solutions, concluded a successful showcase at Interclean Amsterdam 2026, highlighting its focus on large-scale, AI-driven sweeping for industrial, municipal, and campus environments.

At Hall 8, Booth 538, Jtibot presented its autonomous outdoor sweeper designed for environments exceeding 10,000 sqm. Positioned between traditional equipment and emerging robotics, the system addresses the growing demand for more efficient and less labor-dependent outdoor cleaning operations.

During the exhibition, Jtibot attracted strong interest from European distributors and facility management professionals seeking scalable solutions for large-area maintenance. The company was also featured in an official media interview at the event, reflecting increasing attention toward autonomous technologies in the cleaning industry.

Jtibot’s approach centers on human-machine collaboration. By reducing repetitive manual work while maintaining operational flexibility, its systems support more sustainable and efficient facility management practices. This aligns with broader ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) priorities, including improved resource efficiency and enhanced working conditions.

Building on its presence at Interclean, Jtibot is currently advancing discussions with multiple European partners for regional distribution and deployment. The company is also in the final stage of a fleet procurement agreement valued at approximately $1.4 million, signaling early commercial traction in large-scale applications scenarios.

“As outdoor environments continue to grow in scale and complexity, automation is becoming essential,” said Steven, VP at Jtibot. “Our goal is not to replace people, but to empower them—making operations more efficient and labor more sustainable.”

Following Interclean Amsterdam 2026, Jtibot is actively expanding its European partner network and preparing for broader market deployment across key regions, as it accelerates its global commercialization strategy.

About Jtibot
Jtibot specializes in autonomous outdoor sweepers designed for large-scale environments. By combining AI-driven navigation with industrial-grade hardware, the company enables efficient, scalable, and sustainable cleaning operations worldwide.

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Technology

2U Refinances and Raises Growth Capital

Published

6 minutes ago

April 24, 2026

ARLINGTON, Va., April 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Many education technology companies spent 2024 and 2025 scaling back. New university partnerships slowed as institutions built internal capacity. Against that backdrop, 2U completed a growth recapitalization, with its existing owners putting growth capital into the business alongside a refinancing of its current credit facilities.

The question worth asking is: why now, and what did they see?

2U operates edX, a global online learning platform originally co-founded by Harvard and MIT that now reaches more than 100 million people through over 5,300 programs with 250-plus institutional and enterprise partners. Employees from more than 60% of Fortune 500 companies use edX for professional development. To date, over 76,000 people have graduated from 2U-powered degree programs from leading institutions, including UC Berkeley, Howard University, and Georgetown. The company has been privately held since completing a financial reorganization in 2024, and Kees Bol has served as CEO since January 2025.

Lincoln International, which advised 2U on the transaction exclusively, described the refinancing outcome: extended credit maturities, improved capital structure, and financial flexibility to continue executing on 2U’s long-range plan. Managing Director Alex Stevenson said the deal “reflects the confidence of 2U’s owners in the long-term value of the business.”

Confidence in what, exactly? The AI workforce training market. Skills in AI-affected roles are evolving 66% faster than average according to PwC research, and IDC has estimated that unfilled AI skills gaps could cost the global economy $5.5 trillion. Universities and enterprises are both trying to solve that problem, and both are looking for platforms with the breadth and accreditation backing to do it credibly.

2U’s partnerships are designed for exactly that. IBM’s six technical microcredentials on edX train the engineers and data scientists who build AI systems. Microsoft’s CxO Edge program, launched in late 2025, targets the C-suite executives who need to move from AI pilots to enterprise-wide adoption, part of a Microsoft presence on edX that has drawn over 40,000 learners in the past six months alone.. Oxford’s Faculty of Law program addresses governance: what board members and legal advisors need to understand about AI liability, compliance, and fiduciary responsibility. UC Berkeley’s Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS) online program prepares learners to shape the future of AI and data science with human-centered values and focuses on solving the world’s most pressing data challenges. Each program exists because a specific employer community identified a specific gap.

That’s the differentiation investors are backing. Generic online courses are abundant. Programs designed in partnership with IBM, Microsoft, UC Berkeley, and Oxford’s Faculty of Law and delivered on a platform with proven Fortune 500 adoption are not.

Credentials earned on 2U’s edX platform carry the academic standing of the issuing partner institutions. Its programs span executive education, professional certificates, microcredentials, and accredited online degree programs, all powered by 2U’s infrastructure but conferred by partner universities and institutions with their own accreditation.

HolonIQ data puts the broader trend in context: microcredentials grew from 7% of global online program offerings in 2022 to 19% by 2025. The shift toward stackable, job-aligned credentials, in addition to traditional degrees, is real and accelerating. The global online education market is projected to exceed $200 billion as that trend matures. 2U’s decision to build depth in short-form, employer-designed AI training aligns directly with where learner demand is heading.

None of this is abstract for the organizations that use edX at scale. When a company needs to certify 500 engineers on AI development, or prepare its entire C-suite for a board presentation on AI governance, the platform’s reach and credential quality both matter. A certification backed by IBM and a degree from institutions such as Berkeley carries weight with hiring managers in a way a generic online course does not.

The refinancing extends 2U’s ability to keep building that catalog and the partnerships behind it. Stevenson framed it as giving the management team “the financial foundation to keep executing on its mission.” The mission, under Bol’s leadership, is straightforward: help universities and enterprises close the AI skills gap by meeting learners where they are, at the pace the market demands.

The investors who contributed growth capital made a bet that a platform that reaches 100 million people and has 250-plus partners, including IBM, Microsoft, UC Berkeley, and Oxford in its program portfolio, is better positioned to close that gap than any platform that would need to build from scratch.

Media Contact:
Kees Bol
social@2u.com

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Technology

Autonomous Resource Corporation and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Partner to Accelerate AI-Enabled Defense Manufacturing at National Scale

Published

6 minutes ago

April 24, 2026

Strategic partnership combines ORNL’s supercomputing and advanced manufacturing expertise with ARC’s autonomous production platform to address critical defense industrial base shortfalls

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. and NEW YORK, April 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Autonomous Resource Corporation (ARC), a Delaware corporation, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the U.S. Department of Energy’s largest multi-program science and energy laboratory, today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a strategic public-private partnership to accelerate the on-demand manufacture of qualified, mission-critical components for U.S. national security applications.

The partnership combines ORNL’s HPC and manufacturing capability with ARC’s ARCNet distributed AI-manufacturing platform

The partnership — known as the Exascale Foundry — will combine ORNL’s computing and manufacturing capabilities with ARC’s ARCNet distributed manufacturing platform to create a closed-loop system for AI-enabled materials and manufacturing qualification and autonomous production at defense-relevant scale.

“The United States faces an urgent need to rebuild its manufacturing capacity for critical defense components,” said Bryan Wisk, CEO of ARC. “By combining ORNL’s world-leading computational, materials science, and manufacturing capabilities with our autonomous production infrastructure, we can compress manufacturing and qualification timelines from years to months and deliver manufactured parts at the volumes the warfighter needs.”

Partnership Highlights

Under the MOU, ARC will deploy advanced manufacturing equipment organized into seven production nodes connected to ORNL via ARC’s secure ARCNet infrastructure. ARC will expand capability through ORNL’s high-performance computing (HPC) resources.

ORNL will provide access to HPC expertise for simulation-driven materials characterization and qualification, along with technologies developed at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF), the Department of Energy’s only large-scale, open-access advanced manufacturing facility. ORNL’s Peregrine AI software, which has analyzed over 1.9 million additive manufacturing layers, will be integrated into ARC’s production nodes for real-time adaptive control and quality assurance.

This partnership also supports DOE’s Genesis Mission, a national initiative to build the world’s most powerful scientific platform to accelerate discovery science, strengthen national security and drive energy innovation. ARC and ORNL’s collective capabilities will help reenvision advanced manufacturing and industrial productivity, accelerate defense production and qualification, and secure critical supply chain elements.

“ORNL’s advanced manufacturing and computing capabilities are uniquely positioned to help accelerate the transition of laboratory-proven technologies into production-scale defense manufacturing,” said Moe Khaleel, ORNL associate laboratory director for National Security Sciences. “Partnering with ARC ensures we are transitioning our research into real production outcomes.”

The initial implementation will focus on high-temperature nickel superalloy turbine components for autonomous air vehicle engines using metal binder jetting technology, directly addressing demonstrated production bottlenecks in the U.S. defense supply chain.

ORNL Chief Manufacturing Officer Craig Blue added, “This partnership exemplifies the type of relationship necessary to build and grow domestic supply chains for our national security.”

About Autonomous Resource Corporation

ARC is a New York–headquartered corporation building and operating an AI-enabled, autonomous manufacturing platform for national security and critical infrastructure applications. ARC’s Autonomous Resource Controller Network (ARCNet) connects distributed production cells into a secure, federated manufacturing grid capable of producing qualified components at scale. ARC’s leadership team brings deep experience across defense technology, capital markets, materials science, and additive manufacturing at production scale.

About Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the largest U.S. Department of Energy science and energy laboratory, conducting basic and applied research to deliver transformative solutions to compelling problems in energy and security. DOE’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL partners with more than 300 companies, spurring over $5.5 billion in economic growth. ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

Media Contacts:

ARC: Bryan Wisk, Chief Executive Officer | bryan@autonomousresource.com | 929-523-3953

ORNL: Eric Swanson, National Security Sciences Communications Lead | swansonej@ornl.gov | 865-206-5794

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SOURCE Autonomous Resource Corporation