Shoebox-sized robot named Iris is among two rovers battling it out to go to the moon

A shoebox-sized robot named Iris is among the final two vying for the chance to become the first US spacecraft to land on the moon in 50 years. NASA has been sending rovers to the surface of Mars for decades, with two, Perseverance and Curiosity, currently operating and sending back photographs. However, the US-based space agency hasn't sent a vehicle to explore the surface of the moon since the last Apollo landing in 1972 - 50 years ago this year. Two contractors funded by NASA have vehicles that could launch this year - including Houston-based Intuitive Machines, and Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic. With contracts worth more than $70 million each, the firms could launch for the moon this year on a mixture of SpaceX Falcon 9 and United Launch Alliance rockets.