world’s first commercial space plane is ready to take off this year. At least we hope. Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser is planned for launch no earlier than May, with plans to fly to the International Space Station as part of a NASA contract. Artist’s impression of Dream Chaser. Image: Sierra Space Dream Chaser will launch from Earth atop United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket (the spaceplane was originally scheduled for liftoff in 2024 but changes to the rocket’s schedule delayed its launch). The partially reusable vehicle is designed with foldable wings that fully unfurl once the spaceplane is in flight, generating power through solar arrays. It’s also equipped with heat shield tiles to protect it from the scorching temperatures of reentry through Earth’s atmosphere, after which it will perform runway landings on the surface upon its return. Colorado-based Sierra Space was awarded a NASA Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract in 2016, under which it is meant to provide at least seven uncrewed missions to the ISS to deliver cargo. Firefly on the Moon An illustration of the Blue Ghost mission on the surface of the Moon. Credit: Firefly Aerospace There’s a special delivery to the Moon. Space startups are fashioning landers equipped to drop off payloads to the lunar surface on a more regular basis, preparing for humanity’s attempt to sustain a longtime presence on the Moon. As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payloads Services (CLPS), Firefly Aerospace is prepping its Blue Ghost lander for a trip to the Moon in mid-January. After launching, the lander will take around 45 days to reach the Moon, targeting a landing spot in Mare Crisium, the site of an ancient asteroid impact basin that was later filled with basaltic lava. Blue Ghost is packed with 10 science instruments to explore the Moon, and is designed to operate for one full lunar day (or the equivalent of 14 days on Earth). Texas-startup Firefly is meeting its end of a $93.3 million contract with NASA for its first lunar lander. As part of CLPS, two other companies, Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines, launched their own lunar landers to the Moon in 2024, but we were reminded that landing on the dusty surface is no easy feat. Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander lost propellant at a critical rate, preventing any chance of it reaching the lunar surface