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The year 2024 should be marked by a series of launches from the USA to the moon. Although these missions are carried out by private companies, they are part of a new program by the national space agency NASA. In this regard, an American company must attempt to land on the moon on Thursday.

This program, called CLPS for “Commercial Lunar Payload Services” (“Commercial Lunar Cargo Services” in French), was intended to be used only for transporting equipment and not for transporting people. However, he must help prepare for the astronauts' return to the moon, this time via NASA's flagship lunar program, Artemis.

The philosophy: a public-private partnership

In 2018, NASA launched the CLPS (pronounced “clipse”) program with a new approach: Instead of sending scientific instruments to the moon with accompanying vehicles, it will contract the service from private companies. This strategy is intended to “make travel more frequent, faster and cheaper,” said Joel Kearns, a senior space agency official. This is despite the fact that “we don’t know how many of the initial tests will be successful,” he added.

Aware of the risks, NASA still intends to help build a lunar economy by using its funding to stimulate the development of an ecosystem of companies capable of making the journey. They can therefore be used by other clients: private companies or research institutions (universities, etc.).

The approach is completely different than the Apollo program, when NASA controlled the entire development process. “When you have unlimited resources, like in the days of Apollo, you can do incredible things,” Trent Martin, a manager at one of the companies involved, Intuitive Machines, recalled at a press conference. “But can we find a way to make it cheaper, where the market is not just driven by public money?” he concluded.

14 companies, numerous missions

NASA has selected no fewer than 14 “certified” companies to receive contracts. At least eight missions are already planned, carried out by four different companies. Some are young and relatively inexperienced. The first attempt, led by startup Astrobotic, failed to reach the moon in January due to a fuel leak during the flight.

The Pennsylvania-based company has planned a second test for this year, but it could be postponed depending on its analysis of data from the first flight. This time the cargo will be of greater value: NASA's water-seeking rover called Viper.

Texas company Intuitive Machines, founded in 2013, will attempt to land its Nova-C probe near the moon's south pole on Thursday. Two further missions are also planned for this year. Another Texas company, Firefly Aerospace, is preparing two missions, including one in 2024, with its lander called Blue Ghost. Finally, Draper, a Massachusetts-based company, must attempt to land on the far side of the moon in 2025.

NASA has signed contracts worth around $100 million each for the first two missions that have already launched (Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines).

The goal: preparation for the return of the astronauts

In addition to scientific exploration of the moon, one of NASA's main goals is to support its Artemis program, which plans to return astronauts to the lunar surface starting in 2026. Moon dust, radio waves… Some CLPS missions should take place. In particular, they will allow us to better understand the environment of the South Pole of the Moon, where the astronauts will be sent. Why there? Because water could be exploited there in the form of ice.

The Apollo program missions approached the equator and did not provide for a permanent human presence, unlike the lunar base, the construction of which is currently being considered by NASA. “We are not trying to reproduce Apollo,” emphasized Joel Kearns. “What we’re aiming for is science and technology studies that weren’t even considered back then.”