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| Attribute | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | CNSA | ispace | Astrobotic |
| Prime contractor | China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) | Draper | Astrobotic |
| Status | Landed | In development | Lost |
| Customer | CNSA | NASA-CLPS | NASA-CLPS |
| Launch date | 2024-05-03 | 2027 (NET) | 2024-01-08 |
| Landing date | 2024-06-01 | — | — |
| Landing site | Apollo crater, South Pole-Aitken Basin (lunar far side) | Schrödinger Basin, lunar far side near south pole | Sinus Viscositatis (planned; never reached) |
| Payload | 1,935.3 g of lunar far-side regolith returned to Earth (2024-06-25) | 300 kg surface payload capacity (2026-05-28) | 20 payloads from 7 nations (2024-01-08) |
| Contract value | — | $73M (2022-07-21) | $108M (2024-01-08) |
| Outcome | First-ever sample return from the lunar far side and the South Pole-Aitken Basin. Used the Queqiao-2 relay satellite for far-side comms. Samples revealed unexpectedly cohesive grain behavior and excavated material from the Moon's mantle. | Pivoted from Series-2 to APEX 1.0 architecture for higher payload capacity and far-side comms via two relay satellites. Far-side polar landing supports NASA's Endurance-A sample-return precursor science. | Maiden flight of ULA's Vulcan Centaur. Helium pressurant valve failed to reseal post-actuation, over-pressurizing the oxidizer tank and rupturing it. Lander commanded into controlled re-entry; burned up over South Pacific 2024-01-18. |
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Underlying dataset: GET /api/moon/landers. Methodology: /moon/methodology.