Lori Glaze

NASA has awarded nearly $600 million in new contracts to private space companies as the agency pushes forward with its ambitious goal of establishing a permanent human presence on the moon.

The latest funding announcement marks another major step in NASA’s long-term lunar exploration strategy, which includes deploying a fleet of landers, rovers, scientific instruments, and infrastructure to support future moon base operations.

The contracts, announced Tuesday, will fund lunar landers designed to transport scientific payloads to the moon’s surface in late 2028. The awards are part of NASA’s broader effort to test technologies, identify suitable construction sites, and develop the capabilities needed for sustained human activity on the lunar surface.

NASA’s moon base initiative has rapidly gained momentum in recent months. Last month, the agency awarded nearly $1 billion for the first uncrewed missions in the lunar base program. Overall, NASA plans to invest approximately $20 billion over the next seven years to establish a long-term presence near the moon’s south pole.

“These new awards to our commercial partners, totaling nearly $600 million to land more missions on the moon with science payloads, demonstrate our commitment to accelerating our effort to build a long-term presence on the lunar surface,” said Lori Glaze, NASA’s Associate Administrator for the Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate.

Three private aerospace companies secured the latest contracts. Pennsylvania-based Astrobotic received the largest award, valued at $297.9 million, to develop two additional lunar landers for missions scheduled in 2028. The company has now received more than $600 million in NASA funding over the past six years for lunar transportation technologies.

Texas-based Firefly Aerospace was awarded $144.2 million, while fellow Texas company Intuitive Machines secured a $148.3 million contract. Both firms will use upgraded versions of spacecraft designs that have already demonstrated capabilities in previous missions.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman also revealed that the agency is considering sending a test rover originally developed for Mars missions to the moon. The rover, known as Promise, could be modified with new instruments and deployed to explore the lunar south pole in search of valuable resources.

“It’s going to be a highly capable vehicle for the south pole of the moon,” Isaacman said, noting that adapting an existing rover could accelerate deployment compared with developing an entirely new mission.

The lunar south pole remains a key focus for NASA because scientists believe it may contain water ice deposits and other resources critical for supporting future astronaut missions and long-term habitation.

Meanwhile, NASA provided an update on commercial partner Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos. Blue Origin had been selected for an uncrewed lunar mission, but a recent rocket explosion during engine testing damaged launch infrastructure and is expected to delay the mission until next year.

Despite those setbacks, NASA officials remain confident that other planned missions remain on schedule. Astrobotic’s next lunar lander mission could still launch before the end of the year, according to agency representatives.

NASA also announced plans to seek proposals for new scientific experiments and technology demonstrations that could be carried aboard future lunar missions. Potential projects include advancements in lunar power systems, communications technology, and infrastructure needed to support a permanent moon base.

The latest contracts highlight NASA’s growing reliance on commercial partnerships as it seeks to return humans to the moon and establish the foundation for future exploration of Mars and beyond.