[1] NASA aims to build on its partnerships with the U.S. commercial space industry that are developing new spacecraft and rockets capable of delivering cargo and crew to low Earth orbit.

The hope is commercial robotic lunar lander capabilities will address emerging demand by private customers who wish to conduct activities on the Moon and could also enable new science and exploration missions of interest to the larger scientific and academic communities.

Currently the Lunar CATALYST initiative has signed three no-funds-exchanged Space Act Agreement (SAA) partnerships with U.S. private sector entities.

[3] NASA has published that it and other space agencies have plans to launch almost two dozen robotic missions in the next decade (starting 2017) that commercial lunar transportation capabilities may be able to bid for.

The three companies Astrobotic Technology, Masten Space Systems and Moon Express are being offered SAA but will not receiving any funds.

[6] On May 1, 2017 NASA issued an additional RFI to obtain more Information for Lunar landing services in the decade starting 2018.

NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) was considering using commercial launches able to fulfil its objectives by sending experiments, instruments, or other payloads to the lunar surface.

Astrobotics has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA containing 20 Milestones supporting two demonstration missions, the second of which has enhanced navigation and hazard avoidance performance, ending in July 2017.

Testing in simulation validated the Griffin lander's ability to autonomously guide itself to a precise touchdown near the Lacus Mortis pit.

[13] In July 2017 Astrobotic announced that it would be sending a Peregrine Lunar Lander with 35 kg of customer payload to the Moon.

As of September 2017[update] the Peregrine Lunar Lander has partially completed Milestone 9: Main engine and Reaction Control System (RCS) hot fire tests.

As of May 2015[update] Masten has signed an unfunded Space Act Agreement with NASA containing 22 Milestones to demonstrate the hardware and software for a commercial lunar lander, ending in August 2017.