When our astronauts return to the Moon, they will arrive with the first elements of the Moon Base already waiting for them on the surface,
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced Saturday at the MAX POWER aerospace expo at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as the agency unveiled a sweeping expansion of its lunar development program.
NASA has formally initiated its Commercial Lunar Payload Services 2 master contract. This is a multiple-award agreement with a combined maximum value of $10 billion.
To back the beginning stages of its lunar base initiatives, the agency raised the financial limit of its current CLPS agreement from $2.6 billion to $4.2 billion. It rolled out the new procurement structure alongside this change.
More momentum for the Moon Base! NASA has awarded six new launch and in-space transportation task orders to American companies, advancing the capabilities for future missions supporting Moon Base such as CAPSTONE 02, LCRNS, and MoonFall.
Eight Aerospace Vendors Selected for CLPS 2 Framework
The updated contracting vehicle opens the door for eight commercial space companies to compete for upcoming robotic lunar delivery missions. The pool of chosen contractors consists of Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, ispace-U.S., Lockheed Martin Space, Northrop Grumman Space Systems, SpaceX, and Voyager Technologies, according to NASA.
These industrial partners will manage, build, and operate advanced lunar landers. These landers are designed to transport science instruments, technology payloads, and infrastructure to the lunar surface. Firefly Aerospace announced its onboarding as a vendor under the contract. It noted its successful Blue Ghost Mission 1 lunar landing in March 2025.
Voyager has been selected for @NASA CLPS 2 contract, making it eligible to compete for future lunar missions through 2036 under a $10 billion base ceiling. The selection expands its role in the Moon Base Program as Griffin-1 prepares for launch to the lunar South Pole. Learn… pic.twitter.com/PelRrYexYP
PROMISE Nuclear Rover Assigned to Blue Origin Delivery
NASA also revealed the Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration, designated as PROMISE. The six-wheeled rover will run on nuclear power, allowing it to survive long lunar nights and explore permanently shadowed regions near the lunar South Pole where water ice may exist.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, a division of Caltech, will construct the rover. It will utilize spare flight hardware and engineering test models from the Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rovers.
NASA awarded Blue Origin a $94 million base contract. This is supplemented by a $140 million performance-based option period. Blue Origin will transport the rover to the lunar South Pole aboard its Mark 1 lander for a planned 18-month mission in late 2028.
Cargo Transportation and Logistics Task Orders Awarded
To establish the necessary supply chain between Earth and the Moon, the agency distributed six task orders worth approximately $1.3 billion combined under the Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare launch services framework. Arrow Science and Technology, Blue Origin, and Impulse Space secured these transportation awards to handle orbital transfer vehicles and cargo logistics.
Honeybee Robotics, Redwire, and Yank Technologies received awards to develop components for a lunar power and communications tower combining solar energy and wireless power transfer.
Previously awarded missions can still be finished throughout an extra five-year extension lasting until November 2033. The initial CLPS agreement stays in effect through November 2028.
Next stop: the Moon. 🚀 We’re partnering with @GoToImpulse on a lunar mission for @NASAMoonBase ! Terran R will launch Helios and lander vehicles to orbit for the first leg of the journey towards humanity’s first permanent lunar outpost. Learn more about the mission:… pic.twitter.com/jydkpvtEjb
Carlos García-Galán, manager of the Moon Base Program, noted that the program focuses on building a continuous campaign featuring lunar landers, rovers, and scientific instruments. Most importantly, we’ve taken action, awarding new contracts and forging new partnerships to accelerate development,
García-Galán stated during the agency’s presentations at the Kennedy Space Center.
As the agency prepares for Artemis missions, planning also encompasses diverse surface landing destinations. NASA has discussed potential locations including the Aristarchus Plateau. Current agency priorities remain anchored on the southern polar territory, with missions scheduled through November 2033.
New awards. New mission updates. More progress toward a Moon Base. We're advancing commercial lunar deliveries, a nuclear-powered rover, launch and orbital transfer services, and infrastructure to support a sustained human presence on the Moon: https://t.co/Yt7oqpvLk5
Earlier coverage: NASA Projects Moon Landing by 2028 to Compete With China
NASA is moving forward with PROMISE, a nuclear-powered lunar rover that will build on decades of Mars rover innovation to explore the Moon's South Pole region, advance lunar science and discovery, and support Moon Base objectives. NASA has selected @blueorigin to deliver PROMISE…
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NASA has selected industry partners to provide components for a new communications and solar tower, known as miniCAST, that the agency will build to demonstrate power and communications capabilities in the Moon's South Pole region. It's another step toward developing the…
LIVE: @NASAAdmin and agency leaders are sharing our latest updates on the Moon Base, humanity's first lunar outpost. https://t.co/UN6JuBhFcr
Ad lunam Impulse! 🚀 We are proud to announce that @NASA has awarded Impulse two missions as part of its Moon Base program, an ambitious effort to establish humanity’s first permanent lunar outpost. For decades, the Moon has been a place we’ve visited. Now, Impulse is… pic.twitter.com/K2dym6wdJS