NASA launched a new program to develop private landers to the Moon

Private businesses are increasingly engaged in the cosmos, as research programs and commercial projects, such as space tourism. All of this is good news, since the arrival of private investment in the "space" field accelerates the development of different types of programs, and, of course, brings space to the man in the street, so to speak.

Not so long ago, NASA signed a contract with Space X and Orbital Sciences for the delivery of payloads to the International Space Station. Now NASA is working on another project - the involvement of private companies to create a longer orbital and lunar "cabs": number of devices that can start with our planet, and land on the moon.

The new program is called «Lunar Cargo Transportation and Landing by Soft Touchdown» (CATALYST). The purpose of the program - to attract private businesses interested in exploring the moon. In turn, NASA will provide the experience, knowledge, equipment and facilities to support future private projects to explore the Moon.

For NASA, it should be noted, now is the difficult times - because the organization's budget is severely limited. So cooperation with the private sector is an excellent solution to the problem of lack of money. In addition, all this can give a powerful impetus to future projects to study the moon and near-moon / near-Earth space.

By the way, the purpose of the program, in addition to the development of private spacecraft for missions to the Moon - search and extraction of water on the moon (yes, water on the Moon has ). Of course, the project is to search for and extraction of water on the moon - it's not the very near future, but the establishment of private lunar landers and spacecraft - is quite real now. Subject to attract investment, as the case is very expensive.

Already, the agency is working with various organizations in the US and Canada, developing lunar lander and rover. And the arrival of third-party tools can significantly speed up the process. Interested in the project organization can apply , they will be accepted until March 17 this year.

Via Reuters

Source: habrahabr.ru/post/211132/