ispace's Resilience lunar lander, based on the Hakuto-R platform, is a solar-powered octagonal prism measuring 7.5 feet tall and 8.5 feet wide1. Launched on January 15, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Resilience is carrying five science payloads, including a micro moon rover named Tenacious developed by ispace's Luxembourg subsidiary12. The mission aims to:

• Land near Mare Frigoris in the moon's northern hemisphere after a four-month journey2

• Deploy Tenacious to collect lunar regolith as part of a NASA contract2

• Carry a UNESCO memory disk preserving 275 languages and cultural artifacts3

• Contribute to ispace's goal of developing the cislunar economy4

Resilience's mission is expected to last about 60 Earth days, with ispace tracking progress through a series of 10 "Mission 2 Milestones" to evaluate the mission's success and incorporate lessons for future lunar exploration efforts45.

NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative is revolutionizing lunar exploration by partnering with private companies to deliver scientific instruments and technology demonstrations to the Moon. Through CLPS, NASA provides payloads ranging from scientific experiments to technology demonstrations, which are integrated into commercial landers for lunar surface delivery12. These payloads aim to advance our understanding of the lunar environment, test new technologies, and prepare for future human missions under the Artemis program3.

Key aspects of NASA's payload contributions include:

• Diverse scientific instruments, such as seismometers, drills, and spectrometers, to study the Moon's geology, composition, and internal structure45.

• Technology demonstrations for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and lunar night survival capabilities12.

• Payloads targeting the lunar south pole to scout for resources like water ice1.

• Instruments designed for specific lunar regions, such as the Schrödinger Basin on the far side, to conduct unique scientific investigations45.

By leveraging commercial partnerships, NASA aims to achieve more frequent and cost-effective access to the lunar surface, enabling a broader range of scientific exploration and technological advancements in support of the Artemis program63.

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1, dubbed "Ghost Riders in the Sky," launched successfully on January 15, 2025, at 1:11 a.m. EST from NASA's Kennedy Space Center12. The lunar lander, carrying 10 NASA payloads, separated from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 2:17 a.m. EST and established communication with Firefly's Mission Operations Center in Texas shortly after13.

The mission timeline includes approximately 25 days in Earth orbit, 4 days in lunar transit, and 16 days in lunar orbit before landing in Mare Crisium13. Key objectives include conducting lunar subsurface drilling, sample collection, X-ray imaging, and dust mitigation experiments during its 14-day surface operations1. The mission will also capture high-definition images of a total solar eclipse from the Moon's perspective and study lunar regolith behavior during sunset, contributing valuable data to NASA's Artemis program and future lunar exploration efforts13.