Space startup lays the path for humans to return to the moon

Humans have not set foot on the moon in over 50 years. NASA is hoping to change that in 2026 with their Artemis program, as part of a larger effort to advance space exploration. Unlike the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s, Artemis is largely driven by the private sector, including companies like Lockheed Martin (LMT), Boeing (BA), and Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

To ensure successful manned Artemis missions, preliminary research is being executed by corporations as well, as part of NASA’s $2.6 billion Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. Up to 14 companies will send landers to the lunar surface with payloads and specific goals.

Yahoo Finance got up close to one of those landers: Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost. Later this year Firefly is set to be the third American company to attempt a moon landing. The spacecraft will land on the Mare Crisium—a dark, basaltic plain on the moon’s northern hemisphere. In 2026 there are plans for Blue Ghost to land on the far side of the moon through the same program. This later mission will require an orbital vehicle made by the company named Elytra. By manufacturing these spacecraft in-house, along with two different types of rockets, Firefly is aiming to be an end-to-end space transportation business.

If you’re going to future-proof your portfolio, you need to know what’s NEXT. In this series, Yahoo Finance will feature stories that give a glimpse at the future, and show how companies are making big moves today that will matter tomorrow.

Watch the full episode, here. For more on our NEXT series, click here, and tune in to Yahoo Finance Live for more expert insight and the latest market action, Monday through Friday.

Editor's note: This article was written by Luke Brooks.