NASA allocates $590 million for lunar cargo missions as moon base plan advances
NASA announced contracts worth about $590 million with three private companies for four lunar cargo missions, marking the first phase of a $30 billion effort to build a permanent moon base by 2028.
NASA said on Tuesday it will pay roughly $590 million to Astrobotic, Firefly and Intuitive Machines for four missions that will deliver scientific instruments, rovers, buggies and other cargo to the lunar surface. Astrobotic received two of the contracts, while the other two firms each received one. The agency also mentioned the possibility of adapting a Mars rover, nicknamed "Promise," for lunar use.
The contracts are part of what NASA’s moon-base program executive Carlos García-Galán described as “Phase 1,” a five-year effort expected to run through 2028 and cost about $10 billion. Phase 1 focuses on building robotic infrastructure that future astronauts can use, while later phases in the 2030s aim to add pressurized habitats and power generators to create semi-permanent settlements.
NASA has also awarded more than $1 billion in contracts for lunar buggies and drone-based mapping, and it plans to rename three earlier missions as moon-base specific. The overall moon-base program is projected to total $30 billion and is a central component of the Artemis initiative.
The agency’s timeline faces challenges. Blue Origin’s planned "Blue Moon" lander, intended for the south pole, may be delayed after a New Glenn rocket exploded on the launch pad in May. García-Galán said NASA is evaluating alternative launch options. Administrator Jared Isaacman posted that NASA will work closely with its private partners to overcome setbacks, echoing the agency’s historic approach during the 1960s.
Other private firms remain involved. Firefly successfully landed its "Blue Ghost" vehicle near the lunar equator last year, and Intuitive Machines has attempted two south-pole landings, though both vehicles tipped over. NASA’s announcements are intended to signal sustained demand for lunar-related investments, García-Galán told reporters at the Space Symposium.
Congressional leaders have highlighted competition with China as a driver for funding, while the current administration has proposed cuts to NASA’s science budget but supports increased spending on the moon-base effort. Funding details remain uncertain, with recent appropriations allocating about $10 billion over six years, some of which was previously earmarked for the Gateway lunar station before being redirected to surface infrastructure.
