Building on the success of NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) and Commercial Crew Program (CCP), the agency is now extending its commercially driven philosophy to cislunar space. Through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, NASA is contracting private companies to deliver scientific instruments and technology demonstrations to the Moon. Similarly, the Human Landing System (HLS) aims to facilitate a sustainable return of astronauts to the lunar surface by leveraging the ingenuity and cost efficiency of industry partners. As with previous commercial programs, NASA’s role is that of a customer rather than the sole driver of spacecraft design and operations. By purchasing transportation services rather than building and owning the hardware, the agency seeks to foster competition, encourage innovation, and lower costs. The chapter details the rise of various industry players now crafting landers, rovers, and related services for the Artemis program and beyond. It also examines how these partnerships may reshape future exploration, highlighting the potential for robust commercial logistics to support deeper missions across cislunar space. Ultimately, this new paradigm could herald a stable, long-term human presence on the Moon, offering a blueprint for even more ambitious ventures deeper into the solar system.

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Destination Moon

  • Giuseppe De Chiara,
  • Davide Sivolella

摘要

Building on the success of NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) and Commercial Crew Program (CCP), the agency is now extending its commercially driven philosophy to cislunar space. Through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, NASA is contracting private companies to deliver scientific instruments and technology demonstrations to the Moon. Similarly, the Human Landing System (HLS) aims to facilitate a sustainable return of astronauts to the lunar surface by leveraging the ingenuity and cost efficiency of industry partners. As with previous commercial programs, NASA’s role is that of a customer rather than the sole driver of spacecraft design and operations. By purchasing transportation services rather than building and owning the hardware, the agency seeks to foster competition, encourage innovation, and lower costs. The chapter details the rise of various industry players now crafting landers, rovers, and related services for the Artemis program and beyond. It also examines how these partnerships may reshape future exploration, highlighting the potential for robust commercial logistics to support deeper missions across cislunar space. Ultimately, this new paradigm could herald a stable, long-term human presence on the Moon, offering a blueprint for even more ambitious ventures deeper into the solar system.