Moon Express plans robotic missions in 2018, 2019 and 2020

Space Startup Moon Express plans several robotic lunar missions over the next three years.

The missions are initial lander and tiny rover missions, a polar mission to confirm water and then a sample return mission.

They plan to scale up the sample return to mine for lunar ice to provide low cost rocket fuel and water to earth orbiting satellites.

Expedition One: Lunar Scout the 1st Commercial Voyage to the Moon

The Lunar Scout expedition will be the first commercial voyage to the Moon. This historic expedition will demonstrate the cost effectiveness of entrepreneurial approaches to space exploration, carrying a diverse manifest of payloads including the International Lunar Observatory, "MoonLight" by the INFN National Laboratories of Frascati and the University of Maryland, a Celestis memorial flight, Following completion of operations supporting our Lunar Scout expedition partners, we will attempt to win the $20M Google Lunar XPRIZE.

Expedition Two: Lunar Outpost The 1st commercial south pole expedition

The Lunar Outpost expedition will enable the first commercial presence and exploration of the lunar South Pole. The poles of the Moon have concentrations of water and other valuable resources, as well as "peaks of eternal light" where permanent sunshine and direct continuous communication with Earth is possible. The primary goals of this mission are to set up the first lunar research outpost, prospect for water and useful minerals, and accommodate a variety of research instruments for our expedition partners.

Expedition Three: Harvest Moon The 1st commercial lunar sample return

The Harvest Moon expedition will take place by 2020 and includes the first commercial sample return mission, which also begins the business phase of lunar resource prospecting. The lunar samples brought back will be the only privately owned Moon materials on Earth, and will be used to benefit science as well as commercial purposes.