Private companies could be landing on the Moon as soon as next year, after NASA announced $3.6 billion worth of contracts to get humans there as soon as possible.

Nine firms will compete for the contracts to deliver science and technology experiments to the lunar surface, with NASA allowing the companies to work out the details of getting there.

The tests will help speed up progress towards long-term scientific study and human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Before humans can regularly travel to space, the agency needs to better understand navigation, landing and survival requirements.

The news comes just three days after NASA’s InSight spacecraft landed on Mars, just the eighth time a ship[ has completed the nearly seven-month, 480-million-kilometre journey from Earth.

NASA wants to trial the system at the Moon before committing to commercial delivery services at Mars.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine made the announcement at the agency’s headquarters in Washington in time for 2019, which marks the 50th anniversary of the first manned moon landing.

We're returning to the Moon, to stay, and nine American companies will work on developing technologies to get there. They'll bid on contracts to deliver our science and technology payloads, paving the way to send humans back to the Moon and on to Mars: https://t.co/Ul0LYLRcqm pic.twitter.com/dfHRylaaGq — NASA (@NASA) November 29, 2018

He hinted at the news earlier in the week when he tweeted that the US is headed to the Moon “sooner than you think.”

The space agency has already released the first pictures and video, with the spacecraft’s Twitter account reporting “a quiet beauty here”.

The $993 million lander, which appears to be in good shape, will soon begin unfolding its robotic arm for a 360-degree view, and deploying its quake-sensors on the Martian surface.

NASA engineers are planning to begin work with its robotic arm soon, but are proceeding with caution.

There’s a quiet beauty here. Looking forward to exploring my new home. #MarsLanding pic.twitter.com/mfClzsfJJr — NASAInSight (@NASAInSight) November 27, 2018

Slowly releasing all my pent-up tension, starting with loosening my grapple, as these before-and-after pics show. Until I'm ready to stretch my arm out, my camera angles will be the same. Stay tuned though: every picture I take, I’ll send to #Earth here: https://t.co/tjr8tfaCg5 pic.twitter.com/OAOTeA6uwq — NASAInSight (@NASAInSight) November 29, 2018

Now that the dust from my #MarsLanding has settled, I’m taking a little time for self-care with some wellness checks before I get to work. More about what’s ahead: https://t.co/Y7GoErkWfx pic.twitter.com/UN3KOdpJ15 — NASAInSight (@NASAInSight) November 27, 2018

The arm has five mechanical fingers to help it lift out and place its two instruments on Martian soil in the coming few months.

“Slowly releasing all my pent-up tension, starting with loosening my grapple, as these before-and-after pics show,” said the NASA InSight Twitter account.

“Until I’m ready to stretch my arm out, my camera angles will be the same.”

— With wires