What Is a Moonshot? Overview and Example

By Frank Bass – Updated Jun 7, 2025 at 12:17 AM EST | Fact-checked by Robin Hartill, CFP

Key Points

Moonshots are ambitious, exploratory projects that aim to achieve breakthrough results.
Moonshot projects are high-risk endeavors that seek revolutionary changes, not incremental advances.
Successful moonshots can transform industries and yield high returns for investors.

It’s been more than 50 years since the original moonshot, an eight-year program that culminated in the successful voyage of the first humans to our nearest neighbor in the galaxy. The Apollo program, which lasted roughly from 1960 until 1973, cost an estimated $28 billion. (That's $306 billion in 2025 dollars).

We’re still trying for moonshots, but they mean a completely different thing today. Here, we’ll explain the history of the phrase and its current use, and provide a few examples of potential future moonshots.

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A rocket shooting straight up into the sky above the clouds. — Image source: Getty Images.

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The Apollo program was largely orchestrated by a single government agency. But future moonshots will likely be accomplished by multiple organizations and efforts. Current moonshots include:

Climate change-related efforts, such as carbon capture and storage, direct air capture, distributed electrical grids, and fusion energy.
Expansion of the metaverse, a virtual world that has the potential to revolutionize communication.
The development of artificial general intelligence (AGI) that could perform any cognitive task currently done by humans.

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While the Apollo moonshot was managed by NASA, it’s important to remember that there were plenty of implications for businesses around the nation. At its peak in the mid-1960s, NASA relied on 377,000 contractors, ranging from aviation giant Boeing (BA +0.01%) to the International Latex Corp., which manufactured Playtex bras and girdles, as well as key components for space suits and was acquired in 2024 by Ingersoll Rand (IR -0.20%).

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About the Author

Frank Bass is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst and editor covering energy, healthcare, consumer, and financial sectors. Frank has decades of experience in financial journalism, holding reporting and editing roles at The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press, and Bloomberg. He also currently edits research on the global energy transition. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas Tech University and is a graduate student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Fun Facts: Frank has hiked The Long Trail in Vermont from end to end, and currently lives in a semi-dry cabin in Interior Alaska.

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Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Frank Bass has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.