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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Lunar Payload Services | 3/4 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Lunar_Payload_Services | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T12:41:24.002382+00:00 | kb-cron |
== Payload selection == The CLPS contracts for landers and lander missions do not include the payloads themselves. The payloads are developed under separate contracts either at NASA facilities or in commercial facilities. The CLPS landers provide landing, support services, and sample return as specified in each individual contract. The first batch of science payloads are being developed in NASA facilities, due to the short time available before the first planned flights. Subsequent selections include payloads provided by universities and industry. Calls for payloads are planned to be released each year for additional opportunities.
=== Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program === The Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program (LDEP) within the NASA Science Mission Directorate establishes contracts for the CLPS program and selects lunar science instruments that will use CLPS services. The CLPS Lunar Instrument Development process includes NASA Provided Lunar Payloads (NPLP), Lunar Surface Instrument and Technology Payloads (LSITP), Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM), Development and Advancement of Lunar Instrumentation (DALI), Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) Instruments and Artemis Surface Instruments. LDEP aspires to conduct at least two CLPS missions per year. Delivery missions for these payloads were solicited in batches.
=== First batch === The first twelve NASA payloads and experiments were announced on February 21, 2019, and will fly on separate missions. As of February 2021 NASA has awarded contracts for four CLPS lander missions to support these payloads.
Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer, to monitor the lunar surface radiation. Magnetometer, to measure the surface magnetic field. Low-frequency Radio Observations from the Near Side Lunar Surface, a radio experiment to measure photoelectron sheath density near the surface. A set of three instruments to collect data during entry, descent and landing on the lunar surface to help develop future crewed landers. Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies is a set of cameras for monitoring the interaction between the lander engine plume and the lunar surface. Surface and Exosphere Alterations by Landers, another landing monitor to study the effects of spacecraft on the lunar exosphere. Navigation Doppler Lidar for Precise Velocity and Range Sensing is a velocity and ranging lidar instrument designed to make lunar landings more precise. Near-Infrared Volatile Spectrometer System, is an imaging spectrometer to analyze the composition of the lunar surface. Neutron Spectrometer System and Advanced Neutron Measurements at the Lunar Surface, are a pair of neutron detectors to quantify the hydrogen and therefore water near the surface. Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer for Lunar Surface Volatiles, is a mass spectrometer for measuring volatiles on the surface and in the exosphere. Solar Cell Demonstration Platform for Enabling Long-Term Lunar Surface Power, a next-generation solar array for long-term missions. Lunar Node 1 Navigation Demonstrator, a navigation beacon for providing geolocation for orbiters and landing craft.
=== Second batch === On July 1, 2019, NASA announced the selection of twelve additional payloads, provided by universities and industry. Seven of these are scientific investigations while five are technology demonstrations.
MoonRanger, a small, fast-moving rover that has the capability to drive beyond communications range with a lander and then return to it. To be made by Astrobotic Technology, Incorporated, it was to be launched aboard the canceled Masten Mission One. Heimdall, a camera system with flight heritage on MSL, OSIRIS-REx and GOSAT-2, including four CMOS cameras and a DVR. Designed and built by MSSS for the Planetary Science Institute. Selected through LSITP. Lunar Demonstration of a Reconfigurable, Radiation Tolerant Computer System, which will demonstrate a radiation-tolerant computing technology. Montana State University. Regolith Adherence Characterization (RAC) Payload, which will determine how lunar regolith sticks to a range of materials exposed to the Moon's environment. Alpha Space Test and Research Alliance, LLC. The Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder (LMS), which will characterize the structure and composition of the Moon's mantle by studying electric and magnetic fields. Southwest Research Institute. Planned for flight aboard Blue Ghost. Also part of the Lunar Interior Temperature and Materials Suite planned for launch in 2026. The Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Experiment (LuSEE), which will make comprehensive measurements of electromagnetic phenomena on the surface of the Moon. University of California, Berkeley. The Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI), which will capture images of the interaction of Earth's magnetosphere with solar wind. Boston University. Next Generation Lunar Retroreflectors (NGLR), which will serve as a target for lasers on Earth to precisely measure the Earth-Moon distance. University of Maryland. Lunar Compact InfraRed Imaging System (L-CIRiS), an infrared radiometer to explore the Moon's surface composition and temperature distribution. Built for the University of Colorado by Ball Aerospace. Selected through LDEP. The Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity (LISTER), an instrument designed to measure heat flow from the interior of the Moon. Texas Tech University. Planned for flight aboard Blue Ghost. Also part of the Lunar Interior Temperature and Materials Suite planned for launch in 2026. PlanetVac, a technology for acquiring and transferring lunar regolith from the surface to other instruments or place it in a container for its potential return to Earth. Honeybee Robotics, Ltd; development sponsored by The Planetary Society. SAMPLR: Sample Acquisition, Morphology Filtering, and Probing of Lunar Regolith, a sample acquisition technology that will make use of a robotic arm. Maxar Technologies.
=== Third batch ===
In June 2021, NASA announced the selection of three payloads from its Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) call for proposals. These payloads were to have been sent to Reiner Gamma and Schrödinger Basin in the 2023–2024 timeframe.