Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk will now help NASA land human on Moon in 2024

Washington, Aug 02: NASA is planning on another Moon mission, Artemis which will take the first women and the next man to space. The mission is expected to take off in 2024. This will be the first time since 1976 that the US is attempting to land humans on the lunar surface.

And for the mission, the US space agency has selected 13 firms -- including Blue Origin of Jeff Bezos and SpaceX of Elon Musk -- to develop space technologies. And the best part is that they're not charging a penny.

Artemis is named after the twin sister of Apollo who is also the Goddess of the Moon and the hunt.

Musk's SpaceX is going to help NASA build its rockets. It is also going to help NASA figure out how to refuel in space. Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin with Houston and Goddard are developing a navigation system for precise landing on various locations on the surface of the Moon.

NASA said the mission "encompasses all of our efforts to return humans to the Moon -- which will prepare us and propel us on to Mars."

The programme to return astronauts to the lunar surface is planned to launch by 2024, according to the US space agency.

As the 'torch bringer,' literally and figuratively, Artemis will light our way to Mars," the US space agency said in a statement. With the mission, NASA plans to explore regions of the Moon never visited before, unlock mysteries of the universe and test the technology that will extend the bounds of humanity farther into the Solar System.

"We go now to the Moon, not as a destination, but as a proving ground for all the technology, science, and human exploration efforts that will be critical for missions to Mars.

"On the lunar surface we will pursue water ice and other natural resources that will further enable deep space travel. From the Moon, humanity will take the next giant leap to Mars," NASA said.