NASA schedules two private Moon landings next week

NASA is set to launch two private Moon landings within a week, following the first-ever private lander last February. The missions aim to make lunar landings a regular part of space exploration. Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1 will land near Mons Latreille on March 5, carrying ten instruments to study lunar soil and capture high-definition imagery. Intuitive Machines' IM-2 mission, featuring the Athena lander, will follow on March 6, equipped with a unique hopping drone and rovers. These missions are part of NASA's $2.6 billion Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which seeks to reduce costs and increase private participation in lunar exploration.