International Competition is Driving the Moon Race
In the 21st century space race, the contest to reach the Moon feels less like the Cold War and more like Wacky Races.
Moonshot Mechanics 2025
A series of articles on how the space industry is tackling the hurdles to building a thriving Moon market.
The Push For a Sustainable Lunar Economy
“There needs to be more transparency on how the world is thinking about lunar sustainability,” said Charity Weeden, a former NASA policy chief whose views do not represent the agency. “It’s critical not to mess up, because you don’t necessarily get a second chance.”
Turn Up the Sustain: The Gateway’s Demise
A “mix of old NASA thinking, new NASA thinking, and SLS shortcomings.”
Start Your Engines: The Lunar Rover Race Has Begun
Payload spoke with several companies building next-gen lunar rovers—including Astrolab, ispace, Intuitive Machines, and Lunar Outpost—about the biggest challenges and opportunities in this sector.
Startups Tap Sun, Nukes To Keep Lunar Rovers Kicking
Two US companies have proved that industry can land on the Moon. Now, startups are tackling the next challenge: keeping those missions running for years instead of weeks.
Inside the Hunt for Lunar Water
The sci fi dreams—and economic boom—that would be fulfilled by establishing a long-term lunar presence all hinge on one thing: the ability to locate, extract, and process water ice on the Moon’s surface.
Inside the Comms Tech Headed to the Moon
As the world prepares for the return of crewed missions to the Moon, space agencies are teaming up with the commercial sector to help future missions communicate and navigate the lunar surface.