For the first time ever, a private company just got approved to land on the moon

A private company will be allowed to land on the moon in 2017, marking the first time the U.S. government has ever granted such a request. Up until the government's approval on Wednesday, private companies were only allowed to operate on or near Earth; now, Florida-based Moon Express will be allowed to set a robot down on the moon next year, a first for the commercial space industry.

"Space travel is our only path forward to ensure our survival and create a limitless future for our children. In the immediate future, we envision bringing precious resources, metals, and moon rocks back to Earth. In 15 years, the moon will be an important part of Earth's economy, and potentially our second home," Moon Express co-founder Naveen Jain said in a statement.

Speaking with Space.com, Moon Express co-founder Bob Richards called the approval "not only a milestone, but a threshold for the entire commercial space industry."

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But for the time being, only Moon Express has been approved to operate away from Earth. "Nobody's had a deep-sea voyage yet. We're still charting those waters. Somebody had to be first," Richards said.