This month, NASA is requesting applications from private commercial spaceflight industries to partner with them in developing technologies capable of delivering cargo to the Moon. The request is an effort on behalf of NASA’s recently created Lunar Cargo Transportation and Landing by Soft Touchdown (Lunar CATALYST) initiative, in order to support scientific research on the Moon in conjunction with commercial activities such as resource exploitation.

Resources such as rare earth elements and helium-3 have piqued private interest in lunar exploration.

Sources: E&E Daily; National Aeronautics and Space Administration