Moon landing heralds a new era of discovery as scientists try to peer into universe’s past

FOR THE FIRST time since 1972, NASA landed a craft on the surface of the Moon in February 2024. But the agency didn’t do it alone — instead, it partnered with commercial companies. Thanks to new technologies and public-private partnerships, the scientific projects brought to the Moon on this craft and on future missions like it will open up new realms of scientific possibility.

As parts of several projects launching this year, teams of scientists, including myself, will conduct radio astronomy from the south pole and the far side of the Moon.