Introduction

A private US company launched a spacecraft carrying NASA instruments, aiming to be the first US spacecraft to land on the Moon in over 50 years.
This mission is a key component of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services, integrating private sector capabilities into the Artemis Program.

About Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Initiative

NASA’s collaboration with the private sector under the CLPS initiative involves at least 14 companies contracted to deliver payloads to the Moon.
This partnership aims to develop a market and technology ecosystem in the private space industry for lunar exploration.
The mission features the Peregrine lander and the Vulcan rocket, both developed by private US space companies.

NASA’s Five Payloads: The Peregrine lander carries five NASA payloads designed for various exploratory tasks, including water detection.
Laser Retroreflector Array: One payload, designed for precision distance measurements, will be permanently deployed on the Moon’s surface.
Duration of Activity: Other payloads are expected to remain active for ten days post-landing.

Last US Moon Landing: The last US spacecraft landed on the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972.
Renewed Lunar Interest: The US reignited its lunar exploration efforts in the 1990s and formally committed to return in 2018.
Artemis Program Goals: NASA’s Artemis Program aims to establish a permanent base on the Moon, facilitating longer human and robotic stays for extensive exploration and scientific research.

	Details
Background	Named after Apollo’s twin sister in Greek mythology, Artemis, who is also the goddess of the Moon.
Objective	To enable human exploration to the Moon and Mars, with increasingly complex missions.
Key Milestones	Landing humans on the Moon by 2024. Landing the first woman and first person of color on the Moon. Establishing an Artemis Base Camp on the lunar surface and a Gateway (lunar outpost) in lunar orbit.
International Collaboration	Canadian Space Agency, European Space Agency, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Artemis I Mission	First integrated flight test of NASA’s Deep Space Exploration Systems Uncrewed mission using the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket Launch from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, in 2022 Goals include safe crew module entry, descent, splashdown, and recovery
Future Missions	Artemis II will have a crew onboard to test Orion’s systems Plans to use lunar orbit experience for future Mars missions