The burn system should never depend on hype or an after-the-fact decision. Every eligible mission gets a public record before the outcome is known.
These are examples of categories — not claims of partnership or endorsements.
| Class | Examples | Resolution principle | Burn amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific discovery | Space telescopes, observatories | Deployment/commissioning milestone | Published before mission |
| Lunar exploration | Artemis-era missions, lunar landers | Predefined primary objective | Published before mission |
| Planetary exploration | Mars rover/lander, sample return | Predefined arrival/landing/mission objective | Published before mission |
| Historic milestone | Major first-of-kind achievements | Very narrow objective criterion | Published before mission |