US company Firefly Aerospace said Tuesday it is aiming to launch a lander to the moon next week under an experimental NASA program that partners with the commercial sector to reduce costs.

The University of Central Florida’s Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) payload is hitching a ride with Firefly Aerospace in 2028 for a science and exploration operation aimed at analyzing the Gruithuisen Domes on the near side of the moon.

In a significant leap for lunar exploration, NASA has partnered with Firefly Aerospace to send six experiments to the Moon's Gruithuisen Domes by 2028, exploring ancient lava flows and testing new technologies that pave the way for future manned missions.

NASA gives the commercial space company a $179.6 million contract to deliver six scientific instruments to the moon’s surface as part of the Artemis program.