In a bid to establish a thriving lunar economy, NASA’s commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) program has brought together over 14 private companies in a high-stakes game of innovation and collaboration.
A Village Approach to the Lunar Economy
The commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) program, established by NASA six years ago, aims to launch a lunar economy propelled by a mix of startups and established companies. The model offers NASA a more hands-off and low-cost approach to lunar missions, with the agency sending science and technology experiments aboard CLPS vendor-designed spacecraft.
Established in 1958, NASA is a US government agency responsible for space and aeronautics research.
With a budget of over $23 billion annually, NASA's mission is to drive advancements in science, technology, and exploration.
The agency has achieved numerous milestones, including landing humans on the Moon during the Apollo program and operating the International Space Station.
Today, NASA continues to push boundaries with ongoing missions like Mars Exploration and Artemis, aiming to return humans to the lunar surface by 2024.
Building a Support Network
The CLPS program brings together over 14 private companies, including Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines, which are vying for lucrative NASA contracts. Despite the competitive nature of the space ecosystem, these companies have managed to remain friendly with each other. According to Trina Patterson, Firefly’s vice president of marketing and communications, the two companies are ‘very, very much ‘competimates.”
Patterson emphasizes that the lunar economy cannot be done by a monopoly, but rather requires a village approach. She notes that NASA’s role in the CLPS program is equivalent to that of a customer shipping a package, with the likes of Firefly and Intuitive Machines acting as delivery services that take said package ‘wherever it needs to be.‘
Overcoming Challenges
The CLPS program was always intended to be high-risk. Three out of the four missions completed under CLPS so far have failed. The only successful mission was by Firefly earlier this month, when its Blue Ghost lunar lander touched down near a lunar volcanic feature known as the Mons Latreille.
Despite the setbacks, Intuitive Machines received support from Firefly after its initial failure. In fact, Marshall claims that receiving a kind card from its competitor led to their landing on the ‘lovers‘ option rather than the ‘haters‘ option. This camaraderie is essential for companies navigating the challenges of space exploration.
Shared Experiences
Nearly every space company can relate to the pain of a mission gone awry. Firefly, which also develops rockets, experienced a mid-air explosion of its Alpha rocket during a 2021 launch that resulted in pieces of the vehicle falling back down to the ground ‘like feathers.‘
Firefly’s message included a note reading, ‘We understand where you’ve been. Keep going forward,’ according to Patterson. This kind gesture is just one example of how companies are supporting each other in the competitive space ecosystem.
A Growing Community
The CLPS program has brought together 14 companies, including Astrobotic, Ceres Robotics, Draper, and SpaceX, among others. These companies are working together to create a lunar delivery service similar to how FedEx or DHL operate on Earth. By supporting each other and sharing their expertise, these companies can overcome the challenges of space exploration and establish a thriving lunar economy.
SpaceX is a leading American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company founded in 2002 by Elon Musk.
The company's primary goal is to reduce space transportation costs and enable the colonization of Mars.
SpaceX has developed several advanced rockets, including the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, which have successfully launched numerous satellites, spacecraft, and even astronauts into orbit.
With its reusable launch technology, SpaceX aims to make space travel more efficient and affordable.
NASA’s CLPS vendors include:
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Ceres Robotics
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Intuitive Machines
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Masten Space Systems
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Orbit Beyond
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Blue Origin
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Deep Space Systems
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Lockheed Martin Space
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Moon Express
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Sierra Nevada Corporation
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Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems
