All articles tagged with #commercial spacecraft
A commercial spacecraft has successfully landed on the Moon, marking a significant milestone in the private space industry's efforts to expand beyond Earth's orbit. This achievement opens up new possibilities for space travel and exploration, demonstrating the potential for commercial entities to play a key role in lunar missions.
A commercial spacecraft developed by Intuitive Machines has successfully entered lunar orbit and is set to attempt a historic landing on the moon's surface on Thursday, aiming to be the first American spacecraft to do so in over 50 years. The mission, under a contract with NASA, is part of the Artemis program and aims to deliver scientific and technological payloads to the moon's unexplored south pole region. If successful, this landing would mark a significant milestone for commercial space exploration and pave the way for future missions to the lunar surface.
SpaceX successfully launched a commercial spacecraft to the moon, marking the first U.S. soft landing on the lunar surface since the Apollo missions. The mission, carried out under a contract with NASA, aims to demonstrate technologies for future spacecraft landings and investigate the moon's south polar region for potential water ice. This endeavor reflects NASA's increasing reliance on the private sector for space exploration, with the agency hoping for at least two robotic missions to the moon annually through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program.
Varda Space Industries' commercial spacecraft, which has been in orbit for two months longer than planned, is unable to return to Earth due to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the US Air Force denying the company's request for a reentry license. The spacecraft was designed to demonstrate the production of commercial materials, particularly pharmaceuticals, in a recoverable capsule. Varda's application for a commercial reentry license was turned down by the FAA for non-compliance with regulatory requirements. The company has requested reconsideration, and alternative recovery options are being explored. The FAA's Office of Commercial Space Operations has seen a significant increase in commercial launch licenses, driven primarily by SpaceX's activities.
Japanese company ispace attempts to land its lunar lander, Hakuto-R, on the moon's surface, carrying the Rashid rover developed by Dubai's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, potentially marking the world's first lunar landing for a commercially developed spacecraft. If successful, the Rashid rover will explore the Atlas Crater on the northeast of the Moon for most of the 14-day lunar daytime. ispace aims to land its spacecraft on the moon as a for-profit business, and its future plans include a mission to retrieve lunar soil samples on behalf of NASA.