what is NASA's CLPS(Commercial Lunar Payload Services) ?

NASA CLPS program is designed to foster partnerships with private companies to deliver scientific payloads and technology demonstrations to the Moon. CLPS aims to support NASA's Artemis program, which is focused on returning humans to the Moon and establishing a sustainable lunar presence.

what is Artemis program? The Artemis program is a NASA-led initiative aimed at returning humans to the Moon and establishing a sustainable presence there by the late 2020s. It marks a significant milestone in space exploration, aiming to not only land astronauts on the lunar surface again but also to create a long-term lunar presence that will serve as a stepping stone for future missions to Mars.

As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis campaign, Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday. The lunar lander is expected to touch down on March 6 in Mons Mouton, a plateau near the Moon’s South Pole.

NASA's Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft, which was launched along with the IM-2 mission, is heading toward the Moon. Its main funcation is to map where water is found on the Moon, how it's stored, and how it changes over time. This will help scientists learn more about water on other airless bodies in space and guide future missions by finding water sources on the Moon. The mission is part of NASA's Artemis program, which aims to advance science, explore lunar resources, and help with long-term human exploration of the Moon.