NASA has selected the first three companies carrying payloads on the moon

The first company plans to land on the Moon as early as next year.

The news: Today, NASA ad that three companies were selected to carry out the lunar surface agency's Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) experiments. Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines and Orbit Beyond are the lucky winners. They say they will send their landers to the moon by 2020 and 2021. This initiative will help inform US efforts to send the humans back to the moon of 2024 here, also known as Artemis.

The process: The companies were selected from a shortlist of nine, selected in November, to compete for up to $ 2.6 billion in contracts to transport payloads to the moon. "All previous activities on the moon have been funded by superpowers," said Astrobotic President John Thornton. told us last year. "What about a private company that can land there and make money?"

Intuitive Machines and Orbit Beyond plan to embark on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, while Astrobotic has not yet chosen its launch provider.

And after: There are many more upcoming contracts for projects including the construction of Gateway (a lunar orbital outpost) and rockets to support launches. "Next year, our initial scientific and technological research will take place on the lunar surface, which will help us send the first woman and the next man to the moon in five years," said Jim Bridenstine, administrator of the Moon. NASA. "Investing in these commercial landing services is also another important step in building a commercial space economy beyond the low Earth orbit."