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We have known for a long time that NASA wants to bring humans back to the moon, but the organization has finally begun to take concrete steps to make this a reality lately. Indeed, NASA has just chosen its top three commercial partners for the return program "Artemis" Moon.
These partners will provide NASA-mandated "scientific and technological payloads" that will enable investigations and "demonstration of advanced technologies" on the surface of the Moon. Ultimately, this will allow astronauts to return to the planet by 2024 – if NASA's plans are going well.
The three companies in question are Astrobiotic from Pittsburgh, Intuitive Machines from Houston and Orbit Beyond of Edison. Astrobiotic will receive a $ 79.5 million financing from NASA, which intends to send "up to 14 payloads" to Lacus Mortis by July 2021, which is a large crater located "on the side" from the moon.
Orbit Beyond of Edison, New Jersey, will receive the highest sum of the three organizations: $ 97 million. This money will be used to help the group to fly up to four payloads until Mare Imbrium, a "lava plain" in a crater of the Moon. The September 2020 deadline is a little tighter than the other two partners listed here.
Intuitive Machines receives a little less money; $ 77 million in total. They will send five payloads up to Oceanus Procellarum, a dark point "scientifically intriguing" (whatever that means) to the surface of the Moon, by July 2021.
Time will tell if NASA and its new partners will be able to achieve their goals, but one thing is certain: after what looks like years of relative stagnation, the space industry is finally becoming exciting again.
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