The First Commercial Moon Landing Service Providers on This Week @NASA – May 31, 2019

TL;DR

NASA has selected three commercial Moon landers to deliver science and technology payloads, paving the way for Artemis missions with astronauts on the Moon by 2024.

Transcript

The first commercial robotic lunar landers to support our Artemis program … Discussing our exploration goals … And a breakdown of the Apollo Moon landings … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA! We’ve selected three commercial Moon landers that will deliver science and technology payloads as part of our Commercial Lunar Payloa... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧑‍🚀 NASA has chosen commercial Moon landers to support the Artemis program and expedite the return of astronauts to the Moon.
• 🔬 The selected companies, Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, and Orbit Beyond, will carry out science and technology experiments on the lunar surface.
• 🧔‍♀️ The Artemis program aims to send the first woman and the next man to the Moon, building on the legacy of the Apollo missions.
• 🤩 The NASA Advisory Council plays a key role in shaping the agency's exploration goals.
• 📌 Detailed data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has helped create an animation showcasing the locations of the Apollo Moon landings.
• 🎭 Russian cosmonauts conducted a spacewalk to retrieve science experiments and perform maintenance on the International Space Station.
• 🚶 They also recorded birthday greetings for Alexei Leonov, the first person to walk in space.

Questions & Answers

Q: Which companies have been chosen to build the commercial Moon landers for the Artemis program?

Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, and Orbit Beyond have been selected to build the landers.

Q: What will the landers carry to the lunar surface?

The landers will carry a variety of instruments that will conduct experiments and technology demonstrations.

Q: When are the Artemis missions with astronauts on the Moon expected to take place?

The Artemis missions with astronauts on the Moon are targeted for 2024.

Q: Will the other companies initially selected for CLPS have opportunities to bid on future payload requirements?

Yes, all nine companies initially selected for CLPS will be eligible to bid on any additional science, technology demonstration, and human exploration requirements for future payloads.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• NASA has chosen Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, and Orbit Beyond to build commercial Moon landers for the Artemis program.

• These landers will carry various instruments to conduct experiments and technology demonstrations on the lunar surface.

• All nine companies initially selected for the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) will be eligible for future payload requirements.