CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA says establishing a permanent human presence on the Moon is no longer a distant vision; it’s the agency’s long-term goal.
The agency plans to launch more than 20 robotic missions to the Moon’s south pole between now and 2029. The missions will scout potential landing sites, test new technologies, map resources such as water ice, and deliver equipment needed to support future astronauts.
This week, NASA highlighted the commercial companies helping make those plans possible. Firefly Aerospace is preparing a mission to the Moon’s far side, Blue Origin is advancing its Blue Moon cargo lander, Intuitive Machines is developing a lunar communications satellite, and Astrobotic’s Griffin-1 lander is expected to deliver the largest commercial payload ever sent to the lunar surface later this year.
The mission will launch from the Cape. Florida Tech Associate Professor, Dr. Don Platt, says the robotic missions are critical because scientists still have much to learn about the Moon after decades of limited exploration.
“The Moon isn’t just homogeneous,” Platt said. He added, “They really need to understand the characteristics of wherever they’re going to decide to put this lunar base.”
NASA says the data gathered by robotic missions will help determine the best location for a future lunar outpost while identifying resources that could support astronauts living and working on the Moon.
The agency also views the Moon as a proving ground for technologies and operations that will eventually be needed for human missions to Mars.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.