In a significant development for lunar exploration, Elon Musk-led SpaceX's Starship has been chosen by Lunar Outpost to deliver its new moon rover, Eagle, to the lunar surface.
What Happened: This comes after a successful suborbital test flight of the 400-foot-tall Starship from Texas, marking its sixth flight.
"Having experienced the recent groundbreaking Starship test flight firsthand, we're confident that SpaceX is advancing the most capable launch system ever created and will successfully land our Eagle vehicles on the surface of the moon," said Justin Cyrus, founder and CEO of Lunar Outpost.
This contract is a crucial step for Lunar Outpost's mission to establish a sustainable human presence in space.
The company is collaborating with Leidos, MDA Space, Goodyear, and General Motors on the Eagle Rover.
The "Lunar Dawn" team, including Lunar Outpost, is one of three private groups selected by NASA to develop a version of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) for the Artemis program.
SpaceX's Starship is also set to launch another LTV rover, FLEX, developed by Venturi Astrolab.
NASA has chosen Starship for its first crewed lunar landing under the Artemis 3 mission, scheduled for late 2026.
Why It Matters: The selection of SpaceX's Starship for the lunar mission underscores the company's growing role in space exploration.
Recently, SpaceX unveiled a conceptual image of the Starship Human Landing System (HLS) designed to facilitate the first human landing on the Moon since 1971.
This version of Starship will feature landing legs instead of a heat shield and flaps.
Additionally, Musk has expressed confidence in SpaceX's ability to send uncrewed Starships to Mars within two years, potentially carrying Tesla Inc. Cybertrucks and Optimus robots as payloads.
Meanwhile, SpaceX's satellite internet division, Starlink, demonstrated real-time Earth views during Starship's sixth test flight, showcasing the potential for enhanced space connectivity.
While SpaceX is currently a privately held company, investors can leverage Destiny Tech100 Inc. (NASDAQ:DXYZ) to participate in the Musk-led space company's growth. According to data from Benzinga Pro, DXYZ has gained over 366% year-to-date.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: SpaceX
