Private companies, funded by NASA, are advancing lunar exploration while NASA faces challenges with its Artemis program. Companies like Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, and ispace are leading missions to the Moon amid concerns over U.S. competitiveness in space.

Two recently launched space probes, Lunar Trailblazer and Odin, are experiencing serious communication issues just days after launch, while another probe, Athena, is functioning well.