As NASA focuses on returning humans to the Moon with Artemis, commercial providers are gearing up to deliver cargo to the lunar surface for NASA and o

NASA’s CLPS program accelerates as two landers head for the Moon

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2025-01-27 00:00:05

As NASA focuses on returning humans to the Moon with Artemis, commercial providers are gearing up to deliver cargo to the lunar surface for NASA and other customers. Over a dozen uncrewed lunar missions are scheduled to be launched in the coming years, and more concepts are being developed globally.

Two commercial lunar landers are currently on their way to the Moon, and at least two more are set to follow this year under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Meanwhile, space agencies and companies worldwide are preparing for the next steps in their lunar exploration programs.

On Jan. 15 at 06:11 UTC, a SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) in Florida, carrying two Moon-bound spacecraft into orbit. Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander was the first lunar lander to separate from Falcon 9’s upper stage. This mission, codenamed Ghost Riders in the Sky, is the company’s first attempt at landing on the Moon and carries 10 science and technology instruments provided by NASA under the CLPS program.

Shortly after reaching orbit, Firefly reported that Blue Ghost’s payloads were in good condition, and six had started reporting back data. After spending 25 days in Earth orbit, Blue Ghost will light its engines to inject itself into a lunar transit trajectory. If all goes well, Blue Ghost is set to touch down on the Moon’s surface in the Mare Crisium region on March 2 and operate its payloads for a full lunar day, or approximately 14 Earth days.