Newscasts - Private space race heats up as interest in startups surges
10/03/2025 16:10
Click the following link to watch video: https://share.newscasts.refinitiv.com/link?entryId=1_s0h2b7ma&referenceId=tag:reuters.com,2025:newsml_RW754910032025RP1_930&pageId=Newscasts Source: 'Reuters - Business videos' Description: Two moon landings in less than a week have once again turned the spotlight on space startups as NASA leans on private companies to send scientific payloads to the lunar surface at a lower cost before the U.S. sends astronauts there around 2027. Sean Hogan explains. Short Link: https://refini.tv/3FdoNhw Video Transcript: Two moon landings in less than a week have turned the spotlight again on space startups. NASA is leaning on private companies to send scientific payloads to the lunar surface at a lower cost before the US sends astronauts there around 2027. So, who are the startups competing to offer their services? Intuitive Machines' mission last year became the first US touchdown on the lunar surface in more than half a century. Led by former NASA employees, its second lunar lander, Athena, on Thursday apparently landed on its side near the south pole of the moon. It rendered the mission off-nominal. The company has one more planned mission to deliver additional research tools to the lunar surface for NASA. However, the company has delayed the mission, scheduled for 2026, to wait for the deployment of its communications satellite. The Texas-based company succeeded in its first attempt to land on the moon with its uncrewed Blue Ghost spacecraft on Sunday, kicking off a two-week research mission. Firefly, backed by AE Industrial Partners, has a $101 million contract for the Blue Ghost mission from NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Elon Musk's SpaceX, one of the world's most valuable startups has led the private sectors’ efforts in the space industry. But it's latest test launch of the Starship mega rocket, meant to take humans to Mars, exploded after minutes in space marking the second straight failure this year. Its 7,000-strong Starlink satellite constellation provides broadband to parts of earth. Behind Space X, Rocket Lab, founded by New Zealander Peter Beck, is the most frequent private launcher of rockets. It's widely considered to be one of the more promising New Space companies and is currently developing a medium-lift rocket called Neutron to carry heavier payloads to space. Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origin has been selected by NASA to develop its Blue Moon human landing system for the Artemis V mission. At a contract value of $3.4 billion, the company plans to launch its uncrewed Mark 1 cargo lander to the Moon this year to test hardware. The company also competes with British business tycoon Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic for space tourism.