The short version
- NASA has selected eight companies for the next phase of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, creating a ten-year contract framework valued at up to $10 billion.
- The agency is advancing development of PROMISE, a nuclear-powered rover designed to operate during long lunar nights and drill for subsurface ice resources.
- Blue Origin received a contract to deliver the new rover using its Mark 1 lander, marking a step toward establishing permanent infrastructure on the lunar surface.
NASA announced a significant expansion of its lunar exploration capabilities on Saturday, unveiling a series of awards and mission updates aimed at building a sustained presence on the Moon. The agency is moving forward with investments in commercial robotic deliveries, surface infrastructure, and a new nuclear-powered rover. These developments are part of a broader strategy to establish a permanent outpost at the Moon’s South Pole, leveraging partnerships with American industry to accelerate technology development and implementation.
A central component of this effort is the next phase of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. NASA selected eight companies to compete for future lunar surface delivery missions under the new CLPS 2 contract framework. This ten-year agreement represents a master contract with a combined maximum value of $10 billion. The companies involved will be responsible for managing, building, and operating landers that transport science payloads, technology demonstrations, and infrastructure components to the lunar surface. This expansion builds upon the existing CLPS 1.0 contract, which NASA increased from $2.6 billion to $4.2 billion to support initial objectives.
The original CLPS contract remains active through November 2028, with an additional five-year period allowing for the completion of awarded deliveries through November 2033. This extended timeline reflects the agency’s commitment to a long-term campaign rather than isolated missions. By consolidating numerous efforts into a streamlined program, NASA aims to evolve its human exploration architecture into an iterative process. The goal is to fly frequently, learn from each mission, and apply those lessons to improve capabilities over time.
In addition to cargo delivery services, NASA is advancing the development of PROMISE, a six-wheeled rover designed for observation, mapping, and in-situ exploration. Unlike previous rovers that relied on solar power, PROMISE will be nuclear-powered, allowing it to operate during the long lunar nights and within permanently shadowed regions. These areas are believed to harbor ice, a critical resource for sustaining human presence on the Moon. The rover will land at the South Pole to characterize the surface and subsurface, assess resource potential, and provide data essential for selecting future landing sites.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California will manage the PROMISE mission and construct the rover using spare flight components and engineering test models from NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rovers. This approach leverages proven hardware, software, and operational methods to significantly reduce costs and shorten the development timeline. NASA has assessed the compatibility of this hardware with the lunar environment and determined it can withstand the harsh conditions found near the South Pole. The rover will carry a drill capable of extracting regolith from approximately three feet below the surface to analyze ice and other resources.
PROMISE will also be equipped with spectrometers for analyzing chemical composition, temperature and radiation sensors, and visible-light cameras. It will demonstrate next-generation computing systems and advanced autonomy sensors, technologies that are crucial for future exploration activities. NASA is targeting a late 2028 launch for the rover, with plans for an 18-month mission duration. The data collected by PROMISE will help enable future infrastructure development and support human exploration efforts by providing detailed information about the lunar terrain and resource availability.
To deliver PROMISE to the lunar surface, NASA awarded Blue Origin a base contract worth $94 million, with an option period valued at an additional $140 million based on performance. This award expands a previous task order given in May 2026 for delivering two lunar terrain vehicles. Blue Origin will use its Mark 1 lander to deploy the rover as part of the first phase of the Moon Base program. This collaboration highlights the agency’s reliance on commercial partners to handle specific aspects of lunar logistics and infrastructure deployment.
Establishing a robust transportation network between Earth and the Moon is essential for delivering the necessary infrastructure. Orbital Transfer Vehicles will act as long-distance freight carriers, transporting large loads across space, while lunar landers will handle the final delivery of supplies and equipment. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized that the agency is building the Moon Base mission by mission, using a playbook that has guided previous eras of exploration. When astronauts return to the Moon, they will find the first elements of the base already in place, ready to support their activities.
The announcements were made at the MAX POWER aerospace expo and air show held at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Carlos García-Galán, manager of the Moon Base Program, noted that significant strides have been made in the eight months since the program's ignition. The agency has taken concrete actions by awarding new contracts and forging new partnerships to accelerate development. These steps are intended to accomplish what was once considered near impossible: establishing a permanent outpost on the lunar surface through a sustained and iterative campaign.
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- NASA↗NASA Awards Moon Base Transportation, Technology, Science Projects
