It looks like we might be going back to the moon after all if any of these three private companies have anything to say about it. They were mostly finalists in the Google Lunar X Prize competition, but just because none of them ever launched doesn’t mean they have given up on their plans to go back.

moon — Looks Like We Might Be Going Back To The Moon After All

Astrobotic

Atrobotic hopes to open up the possibilities on the moon. This means sending just about anything you can imagine over there. Their device is thought to be six-foot-tall and is looking as though it will launch in 2021, but the deadline has already been extended, and they could still meet more difficulties along the way.

moon — Looks Like We Might Be Going Back To The Moon After All

ispace

Believe it or not, but ispace hopes to do much more than land on the moon: they want to create a sustainable lunar city, too. They are currently working on a handful of spacecrafts, but hope to have Moon Valley running by 2040. For now, ispace hopes to launch their lander in 2021, followed by the lander and a rover in 2023.

moon — Looks Like We Might Be Going Back To The Moon After All

Intuitive Machines

Intuitive Machines’ team is made from former NASA engineers who hope to take us back. The company hopes that it will be able to carry five payloads at once. The team has years of experience under their belts, and they have even been chosen by NASA themselves to be a part of their transportation to the moon program. All they need to do is get their spacecraft up and running first.

None of these companies have launched their spacecraft just yet, but if they can land there, then they will be the first private company ever to make it that far. The teams are neck and neck. While they might be in the middle of a small space race, only time will tell if their crafts will make it by 2021.