lunar

That includes contracts for launching military satellites, servicing the International Space Station and building a lunar lander.

Still, there are technical challenges, with SpaceX yet to complete the $4-billion Starship lunar lander, which would have to be modified for Mars.

Most of the pistachios will be sent to China, where the crop is dubbed the “happy nut” and commonly eaten during Lunar New Year.

Russian and Soviet lunar landers used cork to help the rover have grip as it was descending to the surface, he added.

Chandrayaan-1 was the first to confirm the presence of water in lunar soil and Mangalyaan carried a payload to study methane in the atmosphere of Mars.