The Lunar CATALYST (Lunar Cargo Transportation and Landing by Soft Touchdown) initiative is an attempt by NASA to encourage the development of robotic lunar landers that can be integrated with United States commercial launch capabilities to deliver payloads to the lunar surface. NASA aims to build on its partnerships with the U.S. commercial space industry that are developing new spacecraft and rockets capable of delivering cargo and crew to low Earth orbit. Recognizing United States industry's interest in reaching and exploring the Moon, the Agency has competitively selected three partners to spur commercial cargo transportation capabilities to the surface of the Moon. The hope is commercial robotic lunar lander capabilities will address emerging demand by private customers who wish to conduct activities on the Moon and could also enable new science and exploration missions of interest to the larger scientific and academic communities. Currently the Lunar CATALYST initiative has signed three no-funds-exchanged Space Act Agreement (SAA) partnerships with U.S. private sector entities. In October 2017 NASA extended the SAA with the companies for 2 additional years. The updated agreements contain new milestones, permitting progress to be monitored. NASA hopes the companies could begin delivering small payloads to the Moon as early as 2018. NASA has published that it and other space agencies have plans to launch almost two dozen robotic missions in the next decade (starting 2017) that commercial lunar transportation capabilities may be able to bid for. Initiative overview Lunar CATALYST is operated under the Advanced Exploration Systems Division of NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The three companies Astrobotic Technology, Masten Space Systems and Moon Express are being offered SAA but will not receiving any funds. They will negotiate with the space agency for a partnership to exchange technical expertise and help promote the private space sector. On November 1, 2016 NASA issued a Request for Information (RFI) about possible small lunar surface payloads that can be delivered to the Moon's surface in the 2017-2020 time-frame using U.S. commercial lunar cargo transportation service providers. Of particular interest were payloads that address NASA's strategic objectives including filling one or more of NASA's lunar exploration Strategic Knowledge Gaps (SKGs). On May 1, 2017 NASA issued an additional RFI to obtain more Information for Lunar landing services in the decade starting 2018. Responses to be within 30 days. NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) was considering using commercial launches able to