US Set for First Moon Landing in 51 Years

Private Company Astrobotic to Conduct Fully Autonomous Mission

The US is set to return to the moon on January 25, marking the first lunar landing in 51 years.
The mission is being carried out by private company Astrobotic, not NASA, and will be entirely autonomous with no astronauts on board.
The Peregrine lunar lander, developed by Astrobotic, will spend eight days conducting experiments, analyzing lunar soil and radiation, and searching for frozen water near the moon’s surface.
The mission is part of the CLPS program, commissioned by the government to send scientific experiments and technologies to the moon.
The launch is scheduled for Christmas Eve from Florida, with the lander set to descend autonomously once conditions are favorable.