The Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program continues to evolve, with four missions completed by the end of 2025. Schedules have seen adjustments due to technical challenges, supply chain issues, and program realignments. Below is the updated chronological list based on the latest NASA data and industry reports, as of January 2026.
CLPS Missions 2024 to 2025
- Peregrine Mission One (CLPS Task Order 2-AB / CP-1)
Provider: Astrobotic Technology
Spacecraft: Peregrine lander
Launch Vehicle: United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur
Launch Date: January 8, 2024
Landing Site: Sinus Viscositatis (intended)
Status: Failure. A propellant leak prevented lunar landing; the spacecraft reentered Earth’s atmosphere on January 18, 2024. It carried 20 payloads, including 5 from NASA. - IM-1 (CLPS Task Order 2-IM / CP-2)
Provider: Intuitive Machines
Spacecraft: Nova-C lander
Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9
Launch Date: February 15, 2024
Landing Site: Malapert A crater (near lunar South Pole)
Status: Partial success. Achieved soft landing on February 22, 2024 – the first U.S. lunar landing since 1972 – but the lander tipped over, limiting operations to about a week. Delivered 6 NASA payloads and commercial items. - Blue Ghost Mission 1 (CLPS Task Order 19D / CP-9)
Provider: Firefly Aerospace
Spacecraft: Blue Ghost lander
Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9
Launch Date: January 15, 2025 (delayed from original 2024 target)
Landing Site: Mare Crisium (lunar near side)
Status: Success. Landed on March 2, 2025. Delivered 10 NASA payloads for geology, radiation, and technology demos. Data from instruments like LISTER were released in January 2026. Award value: $93.3 million. - IM-2 (CLPS Task Order CP-11)
Provider: Intuitive Machines
Spacecraft: Nova-C lander
Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9
Launch Date: February 27, 2025 (delayed from 2024)
Landing Site: Lunar South Pole region
Status: Success. Landed on March 6, 2025. Carried NASA payloads including PRIME-1 (ice drilling) and commercial instruments. Data released in September 2025. Award value: $77.5 million.
Note: Several 2025 missions faced delays but were completed. No additional CLPS flights occurred in 2025 beyond these, with Griffin Mission One slipping into 2026 due to propulsion system redesigns following Peregrine’s failure and the reassignment of its primary payload (VIPER rover).
2026 CLPS Missions
2026 is expected to see increased activity, with missions focusing on South Pole exploration, far-side science, and technology tests. Schedules remain fluid, with potential for further adjustments.
- Blue Moon Pathfinder Mission (CLPS-aligned demonstration)
Provider: Blue Origin
Spacecraft: Blue Moon MK1 cargo lander
Launch Vehicle: Blue Origin New Glenn
Launch Date: Early 2026
Landing Site: Near Shackleton Crater (lunar South Pole)
Status: Planned (imminent launch preparations ongoing). This uncrewed demo will test heavy cargo delivery and precision landing for future Artemis program infrastructure. It marks Blue Origin’s first lunar landing attempt and is the largest commercial cargo lander to date. - Griffin Mission One (CLPS Task Order CP-10)
Provider: Astrobotic Technology
Spacecraft: Griffin lander
Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon Heavy
Launch Date: Mid-2026 (delayed from November 2025)
Landing Site: Lunar South Pole
Status: Planned. Originally intended to carry NASA’s VIPER rover, but reassigned to commercial payloads like Astrolab’s FLIP rover after VIPER’s program adjustments. Focuses on large rover deployment and surface operations. Award value: $199.5 million (adjusted). - IM-3 (CLPS Task Order CP-22)
Provider: Intuitive Machines
Spacecraft: Nova-C lander
Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9
Launch Date: Mid-2026 (delayed from late 2025)
Landing Site: Reiner Gamma (lunar magnetic anomaly, near side)
Status: Planned. Will deliver 4 NASA payloads for studies on lunar swirls and magnetism. Award value: $77.5 million. - Blue Ghost Mission 2 (CLPS Task Order CP-13)
Provider: Firefly Aerospace
Spacecraft: Blue Ghost lander
Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9
Launch Date: Late 2026
Landing Site: Far side of the Moon (specific basin TBD)
Status: Planned. Will deliver NASA payloads, an orbiter, and ESA’s Lunar Pathfinder relay satellite for far-side communications. Also includes radio frequency calibration services. Award value: $112 million. - APEX 1.0 Mission (CLPS Task Order CP-12)
Provider: Draper Laboratory (with ispace U.S.)
Spacecraft: APEX 1.0 lander
Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9
Launch Date: Late 2026 (delayed from 2025)
Landing Site: Schrödinger Basin (lunar far side)
Status: Planned. Will carry 6 NASA payloads for geology and volatiles research. Partners include General Atomics and Systima. Award value: $73 million.
2027 and Beyond CLPS Missions
NASA aims for 2–3 deliveries annually through 2028, with extensions possible. Future awards may include new providers.
- IM-4 (CLPS Task Order CP-23)
Provider: Intuitive Machines
Spacecraft: Nova-C lander
Launch Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9
Launch Date: Early 2027
Landing Site: Mons Mouton (near lunar South Pole)
Status: Planned. Will carry 6 NASA payloads for water ice and terrain mapping. Award value: $116.9 million. - Blue Moon MK1 Cargo Mission with VIPER (CLPS Task Order, New Award)
Provider: Blue Origin
Spacecraft: Blue Moon MK1 cargo lander (second vehicle)
Launch Vehicle: Blue Origin New Glenn
Launch Date: Late 2027
Landing Site: Lunar South Pole (near Shackleton Crater)
Status: Planned. Primary payload: NASA’s VIPER rover for water ice prospecting. This is a revival of the VIPER mission under a new partnership. Award value: Up to $190 million. - Blue Ghost Mission 3 (CLPS Task Order TBD)
Provider: Firefly Aerospace
Spacecraft: Blue Ghost lander
Launch Vehicle: TBD (likely SpaceX Falcon 9)
Launch Date: 2027–2028
Landing Site: Gruithuisen Domes (lunar near side)
Status: Planned. Will deliver 6 NASA payloads for volcanic studies.
Additional planned missions for 2027–2028 include potential follow-ons from Intuitive Machines, Firefly, Draper, and others, supporting PRISM (Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon) solicitations. NASA is targeting technology shortfalls for sustained lunar presence, with proposals due in early 2026.
Update on VIPER Rover Mission Status as of January 2026
The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) was canceled by NASA in July 2024 due to cost overruns (exceeding $450 million), schedule delays, and budget constraints in the Science Mission Directorate. Originally slated for a 2025 launch on Astrobotic’s Griffin lander, the rover completed all pre-launch testing (acoustic, vibration, thermal vacuum) by late 2025 and remains fully built and flight-ready at NASA’s facilities.
In September 2025, NASA revived the mission by awarding a CLPS task order to Blue Origin to deliver and operate VIPER on the lunar South Pole using a Blue Moon MK1 lander (the second MK1 vehicle, following a 2026 pathfinder mission). The launch is targeted for late 2027, with a 100-day science window to map volatiles like water ice, supporting Artemis goals. Blue Origin handles launch, landing, and operations, reducing NASA’s costs and risks. As of January 2026, preparations are ongoing, with Sandia National Laboratories assisting in final validations. No further partnership proposals are being solicited, and the mission is on track pending successful pathfinder results.
