Astrobotic, Lacus Mortis and Orbit Beyond are the first companies chosen by Lacus Mortis to deliver science and technology payloads as part of the Mars moon mission. The contracts are worth a total of $253m . In their submissions, the firms proposed how to take a variety of equipment to the moon in preparation for a human mission planned for 2024 . “This announcement starts a significant step in NASA’s collaboration with our commercial partners,” said Chris Culbert, CLPS program manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, in a statement from Houston. Astrobotic is to take five payloads to the Lacus Mortis crater by July 2021 , while Intuitive Machines will fly five payloads to the NASA dark spot, and Orbit Beyond will take equipment to a crater on the Mare Imbrium .
Astrobotic, Lacus Mortis and Orbit Beyond are the first companies chosen by Lacus Mortis to deliver science and technology payloads as part of the Mars moon mission. The contracts are worth a total of $253m . In their submissions, the firms proposed how to take a variety of equipment to the moon in preparation for a human mission planned for 2024 . Astrobotic is to take five payloads to the Lacus Mortis crater by July 2021 , while Intuitive Machines will fly five payloads to the NASA dark spot, and Orbit Beyond will take equipment to a crater on the Mare Imbrium .