SCIENCE · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
NASA to Award Three Lunar Missions, Including Replacement Orbiter for LRO
WHY IT MATTERS
The new CLPS contracts sustain lunar science by replacing aging assets and fostering commercial collaboration, keeping the U.S. at the forefront of Moon exploration and data collection.
What happened
NASA announced plans to award three additional lunar missions this year through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Among the new contracts is an orbiter slated to replace the existing Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).
The CLPS initiative seeks to leverage commercial partners for lunar exploration, expanding the range of scientific instruments and payloads that can be delivered to the Moon.
The new orbiter will continue the mapping and observation work begun by LRO, ensuring continuity of lunar data collection for future research and mission planning.
DEVELOPING STORY
Story timeline
PRIMARY SOURCES
Lunar orbiter among upcoming NASA CLPS task orders
SpaceNews · Jeff Foust · Discovery only; publisher copyright terms apply