California Firm Wins NASA Contract for Moon Payload Delivery

Mojave, California's Masten Space Systems has won the 79.9 million dollar NASA contract for delivery and operation of 8 payloads comprised of 9 science and technology instruments to the Moon's South Pole in 2022, the agency said.The instruments will break trail for Artemis Mission astronauts who will land on the Moon beginning in 2024.NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said that:
The science and technology we are sending to the lunar surface ahead of our crewed missions will help us understand the lunar environment better than we ever have before.These CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) deliveries are on the cutting edge of our work to do great science and support human exploration of the Moon.*
The payloads will provide data with which to assess the lunar environment through lunar resource discovery and characterisation; radiation detection and measurement; and testing precision landing technologies.*
Masten,founded by chief technology officer David Masten in 2004, will land the payloads via its XL-1 lander.According to NASA'S Thomas Zurbuchen,associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate:
The Moon provides great scientific value and these payloads will advance what we know and help define and improve the science astronauts can do.*
Among other things, the instruments will enable modeling of the properties of lunar regolith (soil and other components of the lunar surface), while characterising and mapping geologic features, including potential landing and transport hazards.*

Masten says that, once in lunar orbit, the XL-1 will fire its 4 main engines to slow down and autonomously descend into a soft touchdown.Masten's goal is enabling space transport and reliable, reusable rocket-powered​ planetary landers for the Earth, Moon,Mars and beyond.*