For decades, space exploration was driven mainly by governments and Cold War rivalry. The Apollo 11 Moon Landing symbolized technological competition between the United States and the former Soviet Union, while national space agencies dominated nearly all major missions beyond Earth.

Firefly Aerospace, the Texas-based startup, has shared video footage of its Blue Ghost lander’s successful soft-landing on the moon, making it only the second private-sector company to achieve this feat.

Houston-based Intuitive Machines is preparing for its second Moon landing attempt after making history last year as the first private company to successfully place a robot on the lunar surface.