From Fortune:

Elon Musk’s focus on Mars has sparked interest in returning to the moon, with private aerospace companies Astrobotic Technology and Intuitive Machines planning moon landings after almost 50 years.

Astrobotic Technology plans to launch its lander on Jan. 8, while Intuitive Machines will launch its lander next month. Both companies aim to be the first private entities to successfully land a ship on the moon.

NASA is supporting both private companies, using them as delivery vehicles and scouts to deliver supplies and find optimal landing zones for future missions. NASA’s Artemis 3 mission plans to land on the lunar South Pole, with the hope of returning humans to the surface of the moon.

NASA hopes to use the moon missions as a stepping stone to learn how to live and work in outer-space conditions in preparation for crewed missions to Mars by the mid-2030s. Both companies are already planning second missions to the moon’s south pole, with plans to harvest the ice there to make rocket fuel and provide drinking water for astronauts.



Read more: Two private companies are about to attempt moon landings