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| Attribute | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Intuitive Machines | SpaceX | JAXA |
| Prime contractor | Intuitive Machines | SpaceX | Mitsubishi Electric |
| Status | Landed | In development | Landed |
| Customer | NASA-CLPS | NASA-HLS | JAXA |
| Launch date | 2024-02-15 | 2027 (NET — Artemis III) | 2023-09-06 |
| Landing date | 2024-02-22 | — | 2024-01-19 |
| Landing site | Malapert A crater, ~300 km from lunar south pole | Lunar south pole (NASA-curated candidate region near 84-90°S) | Near Shioli crater, Mare Nectaris (~10 m precision vs 100 m target) |
| Payload | ~100 kg payload capacity (1,908 kg launch mass) (2024-02-22) | ~100 tonnes to lunar surface (sustained variant target) (2024-04-16) | LEV-1 (2.1 kg hopper) + LEV-2 'SORA-Q' (0.25 kg sphere) (2024-01-19) |
| Contract value | $118M (2024-02-15) | $2.89B + $1.15B Option B = $4.04B total (2022-11-15) | — |
| Outcome | First US Moon landing since Apollo 17 and first commercial soft landing in history. Lander tipped to ~30° on touchdown after landing-leg failure but transmitted data for ~7 days before sunset. | Selected April 2021 as sole HLS provider for Artemis III. Architecture requires Super Heavy launch + multiple Starship tanker refueling flights in LEO + transit to NRHO + rendezvous with Orion (SLS). NASA OIG IG-26-004 (March 2026) flagged crew-rescue capability as open risk. October 2025: NASA acting administrator Sean Duffy reopened Artemis III lander contract to competition due to Starship development pace. | First Japanese soft landing; made Japan the 5th nation to soft-land on the Moon. One of two main engines failed at ~50 m altitude; lander touched down on its side but still met 100-m precision goal. Survived four lunar-night cycles despite not being designed for it; declared concluded 2024-08-23. |
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