NASA is Interested in the Commercial Sector Robotic Lunar Lander Plans

NASA has issued a press release and Request for Information (RFI) seeking information on Commercial Robotic Lunar Lander Capabilities with a mind to seeing how NASA can help commercial companies.

“U.S. industry is flourishing with innovative ideas based on NASA’s pioneering work to explore space, including low-Earth orbit and the moon,” said William Gerstenmaier, NASA’s associate administrator for human exploration and operations in Washington.” As NASA aims to expand human presence in the solar system through missions to an asteroid and Mars, hundreds of new technologies and experiments aboard the International Space Station are giving humans the tools we need to explore the unknown. New robotic commercial capabilities on the moon could extend that research in important ways, just as NASA expertise could help advance commercial endeavors to reach the moon.”

There would be no exchange of funds. Instead NASA could provide “technical expertise of NASA staff on integrated teams, providing NASA center test facilities at no cost, or contributing hardware or software for commercial lander development and testing.”

Here are the links to the news release and RFI:

– NASA Seeks Information on Commercial Robotic Lunar Lander Capabilities
– NASA RFI on Potential Partnerships for Industry-Led Development of Robotic Lunar Landers