Hardware and software proving themselves in the real lunar environment before becoming standard kit.
Technology demo is its own category on cargo and on jobs. The category rows include CAPSTONE 02, the Columbia insulation demo, Starcloud, and the UNESCO Memory Disc.
Mission brief
CAPSTONE 02 is the navigation spacecraft pair. The Columbia insulation demo is on IM-1 Odysseus. Starcloud SC-1L is the compute demo on Elytra on Blue Ghost Mission 3. The UNESCO Memory Disc is on Hakuto-R Mission 2.
Schematic
Technology demo cargo and technology demo jobs are the category match. Job names include the Arch Mission libraries, the Columbia demo, Starcloud, and the UNESCO Memory Disc.
Columbia Sportswear flew its Omni-Heat Infinity insulation on IM-1 to see how the fabric holds heat in the lunar environment. · IM-1 Odysseus · 2024-02-15
Redwire supplied the cameras, the vision navigation processor and the floodlights that flew on Blue Ghost Mission 1, giving the lander imagery and vision-based navigation through descent and on the surface. · Blue Ghost Mission 1 · 2025-01-15
Two NASA Goddard laser retroreflector arrays on Griffin-1, precise surface fiducials for tracking and navigation. · Griffin-1 (Moon Base II) · NET late 2026
NASA Marshall laser mapping demo on Griffin-1, 3D terrain maps of the south-pole landing site (time-of-flight lidar). · Griffin-1 (Moon Base II) · NET late 2026
CAPSTONE 02, the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment 02, flies two identical spacecraft of about 400 kg (882 lb) each around the Moon in 2027. · CAPSTONE 02 · NET 2027
INFN-LNF laser retroreflector array on the Chang'e-7 lander (CLARA: INRRI mini-array plus MoonLIGHT large CCR) for lunar laser ranging from orbit and Earth. · Chang'e-7 · NET 2027
NASA's Compact Electron Proton Spectrometer flies on CAPSTONE 02 to measure radiation around the Moon and to demonstrate space-weather radiation forecasting. · CAPSTONE 02 · NET 2027
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory supplies the integrated optical payloads on CAPSTONE 02, built around LLNL-patented monolithic optics. · CAPSTONE 02 · NET 2027
SCALPSS 1.x, the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies from NASA Langley, is an array of high-resolution cameras that collect imagery during descent on Blue Moon MK1. · Blue Moon MK1 Endurance (Moon Base I) · NET Q1 2027
Utah State University's Space Dynamics Laboratory supplies the CAPSTONE 02 communications system: the direct-to-Earth link and the crosslink between the two spacecraft. · CAPSTONE 02 · NET 2027
Stellar Exploration supplies the chemical propulsion system on both CAPSTONE 02 spacecraft, which performs lunar orbit insertion and then the rendezvous and proximity manoeuvres that bring one spacecraft up to the other. · CAPSTONE 02 · NET 2027
Three NASA-developed navigation software payloads ride CAPSTONE 02, collecting data on the long transfer from Earth into lunar orbit. · CAPSTONE 02 · NET 2027
Photovoltaic Investigation on the Lunar Surface (PILS) multi-technology solar array experiment on Blue Ghost M3 / CP-21 for lunar-environment solar performance comparison. · Blue Ghost Mission 3 · NET ~2028
Stereo imaging of engine plume interaction with regolith during descent/landing to improve models for multi-lander operations and landing pads. · IM-6 (Moon Base CS-8) · NET ~2028 (CS-8 Moon Base)
Stereo imaging of engine plume interaction with regolith during descent/landing to improve models for multi-lander operations and landing pads. · Blue Ghost Mission 5 (Moon Base CS-8) · NET ~2028 (CS-8 Moon Base)
Stereo imaging of engine plume interaction with regolith during descent/landing to improve models for multi-lander operations and landing pads. · Peregrine Mission 2 (Moon Base CS-8) · NET ~2028 (CS-8 Moon Base)
Stereo imaging of engine plume interaction with regolith during descent/landing to improve models for multi-lander operations and landing pads. · Peregrine Mission 3 (Moon Base CS-8) · NET ~2028-2029 (CS-8 Moon Base)
Commercial radioisotope heater unit (americium-241, 5 Wt class) and support platform on Firefly's 2028 near-side Blue Ghost (CS-8 / Mission 5). · Blue Ghost Mission 5 (Moon Base CS-8) · NET ~2028 (CS-8 Moon Base)
Control Data Systems SRL of Romania supplies ultra-wideband positioning and communications nodes for Mission 3 ULTRA. · ispace Mission 3 ULTRA · NET 2028
DRMU is ispace's own deployable multi-layer insulation unit, flown on Mission 3 ULTRA to help the lander survive the lunar night. · ispace Mission 3 ULTRA · NET 2028
Stereo imaging of engine plume interaction with regolith during descent/landing to improve models for multi-lander operations and landing pads. · Blue Ghost Mission 4 · NET ~2029
Stereo imaging of engine plume interaction with regolith during descent/landing to improve models for multi-lander operations and landing pads. · IM-5 Nova-D · NET ~2030 class
Yokogawa Electric signed R&D agreements with Toyota for prototype measurement and control equipment on the JAXA/Toyota pressurized rover (Lunar Cruiser): the control platform and battery measurement components.
Photovoltaic Investigation on the Lunar Surface (PILS) multi-technology solar array experiment on Blue Ghost M3 / CP-21 for lunar-environment solar performance comparison.
Redwire's Luxembourg team, with Added Value Solutions and ESA support, developed, tested, and delivered the MANUS (Manipulator for Argonaut Payload Needs and Unloading Support) Breadboard Model to ESA (Redwire 21 May 2026).
Astroport and Venturi Astrolab signed an MOU on 3 February 2026 after an Earth field demo of a prototype lunar excavator payload on Astrolab's FLEX rover.
On 15 April 2026 at ASCE Earth & Space in College Station, Astroport and Vermeer announced a collaboration to adapt Vermeer surface-mining machines for the Moon.
Flights
Beresheet2019-02-22 · SpaceIL / IAI Beresheet, private/national hybrid soft-landing attempt.Chang'e-52020-11-23 · CNSA national lunar sample-return (near side).Artemis I2022-11-16 · First integrated Artemis flight test: uncrewed SLS Block 1 + Orion.Hakuto-R Mission 12022-12-11 · Private Japanese lander.Chandrayaan-32023-07-14 · ISRO national soft-landing mission near lunar south polar highlands.SLIM2023-09-07 · JAXA SLIM precision soft-landing demo.Peregrine Mission One2024-01-08 · First CLPS launch: propellant leak after leaving Earth.IM-1 Odysseus2024-02-15 · IM-1 Odysseus (TO2-IM): first commercial soft landing (Feb 2024).Chang'e-62024-05-03 · CNSA national far-side lunar sample-return via Queqiao-2 relay.Blue Ghost Mission 12025-01-15 · Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 (TO19D ~$93.3M): Falcon 9 launch 2025-01-15 · soft landing (upright) Mare Crisium 2025-03-02 · all 10 NASA science/tech payloads operated through a full lunar day (+ hours into night).Hakuto-R Mission 2 Resilience2025-01-15 · Commercial payloads ~$16M.IM-2 Athena2025-02-27 · IM-2 Athena (PRIME-1 path): south polar attempt (Mar 2025).Griffin-1 (Moon Base II)NET late 2026 · Astrobotic / Voyager Lunar Systems Griffin Mission One, NASA Moon Base II.IM-3 TrinityNET Q1 2027 · Intuitive Machines IM-3 (CLPS CP-11): Nova-C Trinity, NASA Moon Base III.Blue Ghost Mission 2NET 2027 · Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 2 (CS-3 ~$112M, charter-bg2): planned far-side dual-stack (Blue Ghost stacked on Elytra Dark + ESA Lunar Pathfinder).Blue Moon MK1 Endurance (Moon Base I)NET Q1 2027 · Blue Origin Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance.CAPSTONE 02NET 2027 · NASA hired Advanced Space on 24 July 2026 to fly two identical 400 kg (882 lb) spacecraft to lunar orbit in 2027.IM-4NET ~2027 · Six NASA science payloads to Mons Mouton / south polar highlands.Chang'e-7NET 2027 · CNSA south-pole complex (orbiter, lander, rover, hopper) focused on water-ice and polar environment.Artemis IIINET late 2027 · NASA: Artemis III is a 2027 crewed demonstration in low Earth orbit.Altus-1 (IM lunar data relay)NET ~2027 · Intuitive Machines Altus-1 is the company's first lunar data relay satellite under NASA Near Space Network Services (NSN).IM-6 (Moon Base CS-8)NET ~2028 (CS-8 Moon Base) · 2028 Moon Base batch.MoonFallNET 2028 · NASA JPL MoonFall sends four propulsive hop drones to the south pole in 2028.Peregrine Mission 3 (Moon Base CS-8)NET ~2028-2029 (CS-8 Moon Base) · Astrobotic Peregrine Mission 3 under NASA Moon Base / CS-8 batch.Starship Lunar Cargo (HLS path)NET late 2020s-2030s (HLS path) · SpaceX Starship lunar architecture: NASA HLS crew lander path plus heavy cargo configurations.Peregrine Mission 2 (Moon Base CS-8)NET ~2028 (CS-8 Moon Base) · Astrobotic Peregrine Mission 2 under NASA Moon Base / CS-8 batch (public award packaging).Blue Ghost Mission 3NET ~2028 · Six NASA science payloads to Gruithuisen Domes.Blue Ghost Mission 5 (Moon Base CS-8)NET ~2028 (CS-8 Moon Base) · 2028 Moon Base CS-8 Firefly delivery: Blue Ghost to the near side (site TBA) with NASA SCALPSS, LRA, and LETS.ispace Mission 3 ULTRANET 2028 · ispace Japan ULTRA lunar lander, inaugural ULTRA flight.Artemis IVNET early 2028 · NASA: Artemis IV is the first planned crewed south-polar landing, early 2028.Blue Ghost Mission 4NET ~2029 · South-pole CLPS with multiple rovers (MoonRanger, CSA path) and instruments.IM-5 Nova-DNET ~2030 class · First cargo-class Nova-D CLPS.Argonaut Mission 1 (ArgoNET)NET ~2030-2031 · ESA Argonaut Lunar Descent Element (LDE) is Europe's cargo lander transport element, primed by Thales Alenia Space Italy with Thales Alenia Space France, Thales Alenia Space UK, OHB System AG, and Nammo Space (UK) (ESA consortium 20 Nov 2025).