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| Attribute | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Intuitive Machines | Firefly Aerospace | SpaceX |
| Prime contractor | Intuitive Machines | Firefly Aerospace | SpaceX |
| Status | Landed | In development | In development |
| Customer | NASA-CLPS | NASA-CLPSESA | NASA-HLS |
| Launch date | 2025-02-27 | 2026-Q4 (NET) | 2027 (NET — Artemis III) |
| Landing date | 2025-03-06 | — | — |
| Landing site | Mons Mouton plateau, lunar south pole (~400 m off target) | Lunar far side (specific site TBD; supports LuSEE-Night) | Lunar south pole (NASA-curated candidate region near 84-90°S) |
| Payload | 10 payloads delivered (2025-03-06) | Dual-spacecraft: Blue Ghost lander + Elytra orbital relay (2026-05-28) | ~100 tonnes to lunar surface (sustained variant target) (2024-04-16) |
| Contract value | $62.5M (2025-02-27) | — | $2.89B + $1.15B Option B = $4.04B total (2022-11-15) |
| Outcome | Soft-landed but tipped onto its side after altimeter failure caused the lander to strike a plateau and skid into a crater rim. Power depleted within ~24 hours; ~250 MB of data transmitted including TRIDENT drill range-of-motion demonstration. | First commercial far-side landing attempt. Elytra deploys ESA's Lunar Pathfinder relay before Blue Ghost descends, providing dual-S/X-band relay for surface and orbital users. JPL's User Terminal Payload delivered for integration April 2026. | 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. |
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Underlying dataset: GET /api/moon/landers. Methodology: /moon/methodology.