Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) is a NASA program to hire companies to send small robotic landers and rovers to the Moon. Most landing sites are near the lunar south pole[1][2] where they will scout for lunar resources, test in situ resource utilization (ISRU) concepts, and perform lunar science to support the Artemis lunar program. CLPS is intended to buy end-to-end payload services between Earth and the lunar surface using fixed-price contracts.[3][4] The program achieved the first landing on the moon by a commercial company in history with the IM-1 mission in 2024. The program was extended to add support for large payloads starting after 2025.
The CLPS program is run by NASA's Science Mission Directorate along with the Human Exploration and Operations and Space Technology Mission directorates. NASA expects the contractors to provide all activities necessary to safely integrate, accommodate, transport, and operate NASA payloads, including launch vehicles, lunar lander spacecraft, lunar surface systems, Earth re-entry vehicles and associated resources.[4]
Eight missions have been contracted under the program (not counting one mission contract that was revoked after awarding and another mission contract that was cancelled after the contracted company went bankrupt).
Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer, to monitor the lunar surface radiation.
to measure the surface magnetic field.
Magnetometer
Low-frequency Radio Observations from the Near Side Lunar Surface, a radio experiment to measure photoelectron sheath density near the surface.
A set of three instruments to collect data during entry, descent and landing on the lunar surface to help develop future crewed landers.
Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies is a set of cameras for monitoring the interaction between the lander engine plume and the lunar surface.
Surface and Exosphere Alterations by Landers, another landing monitor to study the effects of spacecraft on the lunar exosphere.
Navigation Doppler Lidar for Precise Velocity and Range Sensing is a velocity and ranging instrument designed to make lunar landings more precise.
lidar
Near-Infrared Volatile Spectrometer System, is an imaging to analyze the composition of the lunar surface.
spectrometer
Neutron Spectrometer System and Advanced Neutron Measurements at the Lunar Surface, are a pair of neutron detectors to quantify the hydrogen –and therefore water near the surface.
Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer for Lunar Surface Volatiles, is a for measuring volatiles on the surface and in the exosphere.
Lunar Node-1 instrument of IM-1 Odysseus Lunar lander (February 2024)
mass spectrometer
Solar Cell Demonstration Platform for Enabling Long-Term Lunar Surface Power, a next-generation for long-term missions.
solar array
Lunar Node 1 Navigation Demonstrator, a navigation beacon for providing geolocation for orbiters and landing craft.
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