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NASA announced new contracts and mission plans for its Moon Base campaign, including a framework allowing eight companies to compete for lunar cargo deliveries and development of the nuclear-powered PROMISE rover. NASA is targeting late 2028 for the rover’s launch and also awarded six task orders for lunar transportation demonstrations.
NASA announced new contracts and mission plans for its Moon Base campaign, selecting eight companies to compete for future lunar cargo deliveries and advancing development of the nuclear-powered PROMISE rover for the Moon’s South Pole. The agency said the awards are intended to build transportation and infrastructure capacity for a sustained lunar presence; the rover is targeted for launch in late 2028.
NASA said the eight companies eligible to compete for future deliveries under the CLPS 2 framework are Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, ispace-U.S., Lockheed Martin Space, Northrop Grumman Space Systems, SpaceX and Voyager Technologies. The contractors may manage, build and operate landers carrying NASA science, technology and infrastructure payloads to the lunar surface. The agency described CLPS 2 as a 10-year, multiple-award contract with a combined maximum value of $10 billion; the ceiling is not a statement that NASA has committed to spend that amount.
NASA also increased the value of its existing CLPS 1.0 contract from $2.6 billion to $4.2 billion to support initial Moon Base objectives. That contract remains in place through November 2028, with an additional five-year period to complete deliveries already awarded, through November 2033. Separately, NASA issued six task orders under its VADR launch-services contract to Arrow Science and Technology, Blue Origin and Impulse Space for integrating and transporting Moon Base cargo. The agency said the orders cover three mission types, but the supplied announcement details only describe their general purpose, not the full mission assignments.
PROMISE, short for Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration, is a six-wheeled rover intended to investigate surface and subsurface conditions near the lunar South Pole. NASA says it will carry a drill to sample material about three feet (one meter) below the surface, along with spectrometers, temperature and radiation sensors, and cameras. It is also set to test radiation-tolerant computing and advanced autonomous navigation technology. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will manage the mission and assemble the rover using spare flight components and engineering test models from the Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rover programs.
Building a South Pole Delivery Network
The awards address several connected needs for a sustained lunar campaign: getting cargo from Earth into space, moving it between Earth and the Moon, and delivering it to the surface. NASA’s CLPS lander network is meant to carry science instruments and infrastructure, while launch services and orbital transfer vehicles could support transport over longer distances. The agency says a range of mission types would let it fly science and technology demonstrations when they are ready.
PROMISE is intended to provide data relevant to future landing-site selection and surface operations. Its measurements of ice and other resources could help NASA evaluate locations and technologies for later exploration, though the mission’s planned measurements have not yet established what resources will be found. Its ability to operate through long lunar nights and in permanently shadowed regions is a stated design goal, not a result already demonstrated on the Moon.
The announcements show NASA pursuing a sequence of robotic missions and commercial services ahead of future astronaut activity. The near-term value is the prospect of testing delivery systems and gathering lunar data before crewed missions depend on surface infrastructure. The contracts and plans do not, by themselves, confirm that a permanent outpost will be built or set a date for one.
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How the Moon Base Plan Is Structured
NASA presented the awards at the MAX POWER aerospace expo and air show at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The agency framed the contracts as part of a campaign to establish a sustained presence near the Moon’s South Pole, combining commercial services with NASA-led science and technology development.
The Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative uses companies to deliver NASA payloads to the Moon. Under the new CLPS 2 framework, the eight selected firms are eligible to compete for future orders; their selection does not mean every company has received a specific mission. The existing CLPS 1.0 agreement continues alongside the new framework under the schedule NASA announced.
NASA said it will use hardware and operational approaches developed for its Mars rovers to build PROMISE. The agency says reusing components and engineering models can reduce costs and shorten integration and testing, and reports that it assessed the hardware for lunar conditions near the South Pole. Blue Origin received a $94 million base contract to deliver the rover, with an option period worth an additional $140 million based on performance. The award expands a task order NASA awarded in May 2026 for delivery of two lunar terrain vehicles.
Mission Schedules and Awards Still Pending
NASA’s announcement gives a late 2028 launch target and an 18-month planned mission for PROMISE, but it does not provide a specific launch date or confirm that the schedule is fixed. The agency has not yet reported results from the rover’s planned resource measurements, which will depend on the mission reaching the South Pole and operating as intended.
The CLPS 2 contract’s $10 billion maximum is a ceiling for the framework, not a confirmed expenditure. NASA has not identified future delivery dates or payload assignments for all eight eligible companies in the supplied announcement. Likewise, the six VADR task orders are described as supporting three types of missions, but the available material does not specify all destinations, schedules, cargo or individual company responsibilities.
The announcement also does not establish when NASA will begin building a permanent lunar outpost or how the new awards affect crewed mission dates. The program’s stated goal is a sustained presence, while the contracts and rover remain steps toward that goal.
PROMISE Moves Toward Testing
NASA’s next stated milestone for PROMISE is continued development and preparation for a targeted late-2028 launch. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is to manage the rover’s assembly and mission, while Blue Origin is contracted to deliver it using a Mark 1 lander. NASA plans an 18-month rover mission after landing.
For cargo transport, the eight CLPS 2 companies can compete for future NASA delivery missions under the new framework, while CLPS 1.0 deliveries continue under the existing contract schedule. NASA is also expected to carry out the awarded VADR task orders, although the announcement provided no complete timetable or mission-by-mission details. Further updates will clarify assignments, launch dates and how each demonstration contributes to the agency’s lunar plans.
Key Questions
Which companies can compete for future CLPS 2 lunar deliveries?
NASA named Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, ispace-U.S., Lockheed Martin Space, Northrop Grumman Space Systems, SpaceX and Voyager Technologies. Being eligible to compete does not mean each company has received a specific delivery mission.
What is the PROMISE rover expected to do?
The six-wheeled rover is planned to study the lunar South Pole’s surface and subsurface, assess resource potential and provide data for future site selection and exploration. Its instruments include a drill designed to sample material about three feet (one meter) underground.
When is PROMISE expected to launch?
NASA is targeting late 2028 for launch and plans an 18-month mission. The agency has not announced a specific launch date.
Does the $10 billion CLPS 2 figure mean NASA has committed that amount?
No. NASA described $10 billion as the combined maximum value of the 10-year contract framework. The announcement does not say that the full amount has been committed or spent.
When will NASA establish a permanent Moon Base?
The announcement describes a goal of a sustained lunar presence but does not give a date for a permanent outpost. The contracts and PROMISE mission are elements of NASA’s broader plan, not confirmation that the base has been built or scheduled.
Source: nasa.gov
