NASA announced a series of significant contracts and mission updates aimed at advancing its Moon Base program, which includes robotic cargo deliveries, a nuclear-powered rover, and infrastructure development for lunar exploration. The announcements were made during the MAX POWER aerospace expo and air show at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday.
“We are building the Moon Base mission by mission,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated. He emphasized that the latest announcements expand the campaign and employ strategies from NASA’s history of frequent, iterative missions. Isaacman noted that when astronauts return to the Moon, the foundational elements of the Moon Base will already be in place.
Carlos García-Galán, manager of the Moon Base Program, mentioned that the agency has streamlined its efforts and is issuing new contracts to speed up development.
Key Developments in Moon Base Initiatives
As part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, NASA selected eight companies for the next phase of lunar surface delivery missions. The companies include Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, iSpace US, Lockheed Martin Space, Northrop Grumman Space Systems, SpaceX, and Voyager Technologies. These firms will be eligible to compete for missions to transport NASA’s science and technology payloads to the Moon under the new CLPS 2 contract, which is a ten-year initiative valued at a combined maximum of $10 billion. Additionally, the existing CLPS 1.0 contract will be increased from $2.6 billion to $4.2 billion, extending its timeline through November 2028, with an option for an additional five-year period.
NASA is also advancing the development of a six-wheeled nuclear-powered rover called PROMISE (Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration). This rover is designed to operate at the Moon’s South Pole, enduring long lunar nights and exploring permanently shadowed regions. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will manage the project, utilizing components from NASA’s Mars rovers to reduce costs and development time. PROMISE is scheduled for a late 2028 launch and will conduct a mission lasting 18 months.
In support of launching Moon Base cargo, NASA awarded six task orders under its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract to Arrow Science and Technology, Blue Origin, and Impulse Space. The combined value of these task orders is approximately $1.3 billion, contributing to the total $5 billion value of the VADR contract. These missions aim to reduce risks for long-term human spaceflight, prepare the lunar South Pole for exploration, and test navigation technologies.
Nasa will also procure components for a Mini-Communications and Solar Tower (miniCAST) for lunar surface infrastructure. Contracts have been awarded to Honeybee Robotics, Redwire, and Yank Technologies, focusing on energy storage, power generation, and wireless power transfer, respectively. Engineers in Huntsville, Alabama, will assemble and test these systems, with initial work expected to begin shortly.
Additionally, NASA plans to issue a call under its Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP-3 B) to address data gaps for Moon Base development through potential small spacecraft missions and partnerships.
