NASA's private moon fleet: Two lunar landings in a week

Firefly aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1
The first mission, Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1, is targeting a landing on March 6 near Mons Latreille, a volcanic area on the Moon’s northeastern side. The lander, about the size of a hippopotamus, is equipped with ten instruments, including tools to analyze lunar soil and test radiation-tolerant computing. Blue Ghost is designed to operate for 14 Earth days and will capture high-definition images of a total lunar eclipse on March 14 and a lunar sunset on March 16, providing insights into dust levitation and the lunar horizon glow.

Intuitive Machines' IM-2 Mission and Athena Lander
On March 6, Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission will follow, featuring its lander, Athena. After a mishap during its previous mission, where the lander tipped over, Intuitive Machines has improved Athena's design. This lander carries several payloads, including a unique hopping drone called "Grace," which aims to explore the Moon's underground lava tunnels. Athena also carries a drill to search for ice and three rovers, one of which will demonstrate a Nokia cellular network connection on the Moon.

NASA's private lunar missions initiative
NASA’s $2.6 billion Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) programme supports these missions, aiming to make private lunar landings a regular part of space exploration. The programme is designed to deliver hardware to the Moon at a lower cost compared to traditional missions. These landings come as NASA faces uncertainty over the future of its Artemis lunar programme, with growing speculation that Mars exploration may take precedence.