Landers

Introduction
Human Landing System
Commercial Lunar Payload Services

Introduction

NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) plays a crucial role in supporting the development and operations of crewed and cargo landers. Leveraging its extensive experience in human spaceflight, JSC provides expertise in designing, testing, and operating lander systems that are critical for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We collaborate with commercial and international partners to innovate and refine technologies that ensure the safety, reliability, and efficiency of these systems. By contributing to lander development, JSC aims to advance humanity’s ability to explore and establish a sustained presence on the moon and one day Mars. Read more about JSC’s role below.

Human Landing System

The Human Landing System (HLS) is the mode of transportation that will take astronauts to the lunar surface as part of the Artemis program, including the first woman and the first person of color.

Early conceptual renderings of cargo variants of human lunar landing systems from NASA’s providers SpaceX, left, and Blue Origin, right. Both industry teams have been given authority to begin design work to provide large cargo landers capable of delivering up to 15 metric tons of cargo, such as a pressurized rover, to the Moon’s surface.

SpaceX and Blue Origin

Commercial Lunar Payload Services

NASA is working with several American companies to deliver science and
technology to the lunar surface through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.