NASA's Lunar Landers and Moon Living: Crunch Time and Memefest
NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, aimed at returning humans to the Moon, is facing delays as the first two commercial robotic lunar landing missions may miss their mark. Astrobotic's Peregrine lander and Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lander are finally ready for launch preparations, but delays in the United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket have pushed back Astrobotic's launch date. The success of these missions is crucial for the commercial space industry and NASA's confidence in relying on commercial companies for lunar missions. The COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain issues have contributed to the delays, highlighting the challenges of building lunar landers.