If all goes as planned, Nova-C, built by the private company Intuitive Machines, under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, will touch down on the moon about seven days later, bearing suites of scientific instruments.
Peregrine, built by Astrobotic Technology under another Commercial Lunar Payload Services contract, successfully flew into space on Jan. 8, but its mission was cut short because of a fuel leak.
It failed to be the first private mission to land on the moon, but Nova-C could succeed — and so could the one after that, and many more.
For the first time, the moon will be occupied by private capital, including small startups whose aims transcend science and exploration, launching landers and capsules.
The Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, as part of Artemis, encourages private companies to build landers and even rovers that NASA can pay to use, as opposed to the traditional approach of NASA-built equipment.
Persons:
Jeff Koons, Peregrine, —, landers, Artemis
Organizations:
Payload Services, Astrobotic Technology, NASA
Locations:
Nova