NASA Selects Three Companies for Four New Lunar Missions

NASA announced on Tuesday that it has selected three companies to carry out four new missions to the Moon by the end of 2028 as part of its Moon Base Program. The companies, Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, and Intuitive Machines, will deliver NASA scientific payloads to the lunar surface as the space agency works to establish its first forward base on another celestial body. According to NASA, Astrobotic has received a contract worth 297.9 million US dollars for two deliveries, while Firefly Aerospace will receive 144.2 million dollars and Intuitive Machines 148.3 million dollars, each for a single delivery. Each mission will use an upgraded version of previously flown lunar lander designs to support an increased frequency of missions to the Moon. Each delivery will carry three NASA payloads to the lunar surface, including a Stereo Camera for Lunar Plume Surface Studies, a Laser Retroreflector Array, and a Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer. NASA stated that the newly announced contract awards will play a critical role in building infrastructure for operations on the lunar surface. ‘By flying the same scientific instruments on multiple landers, we will gain a better understanding of potential landing hazards and build a global network of environmental data and location markers on the Moon,’ said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. NASA is developing the Moon Base Program, a long-term lunar exploration and infrastructure initiative designed to enable a sustained human presence and expand scientific and commercial activity on the lunar surface.