NASA Takes a Leap of Faith in Commercial Space Exploration with SpaceX and Firefly Aerospace

NASA has been a leader in space exploration for decades, achieving the monumental feat of putting humans on the moon. Now, the space agency is collaborating with private companies to repeat this feat in their upcoming Artemis missions.

One of these companies is SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, who has revolutionized space exploration by introducing commercial possibilities. In 2023, SpaceX successfully launched 96 missions at an impressive rate of one every four days. Firefly Aerospace is another company working with NASA through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative to establish reliable transportation to the moon for supplies and research. Later this year, Firefly will attempt an unmanned lunar landing with their Blue Ghost spacecraft supported by a $112 million contract from NASA.

Both SpaceX and Firefly are positioning themselves as comprehensive space transportation companies, with plans to manufacture rockets and develop orbital vehicles. They also plan to design landers like the Blue Ghost in partnership with Northrop Grumman. The space industry is projected to grow to $1.8 trillion by 2035, making it crucial for companies like these to stay ahead of the curve and understand what lies ahead. Yahoo Finance’s NEXT series explores the future of these companies and how they will shape tomorrow’s landscape in the ever-evolving world of space exploration.