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The Agency revealed the details of the largest plan for the colonization of the moon since the time of “Apollo”
NASA is preparing the Moon for a new format of flights: instead of one-time landings, the agency wants to deliver to the surface the details of the future base, lunar rovers, cargo modules and reconnaissance drones. Astronauts Artemis will not only work on the moon, but also collect the first elements of a permanent outpost.
Until 2029, the Moon Base program can include up to 25 missions, including 21 landings. At the first stage, NASA expects to send about four tons of cargo and the first transport systems for crews.
NASA has announced contracts with four companies: Blue Origin, Astrolab, Lunar Outpost and Firefly Aerospace. The orders cover cargo landing missions, two lunar vehicles and a carrier for the MoonFall robotic drones, which are being developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Blue Origin received an order of $188 million and an option for $280.4 million. The company must deliver lunar vehicles to the South Pole of the Moon with the help of an unmanned lander Mark 1. The first mission of the series, Moon Base I, is to send scientific cargo to Shackleton Connecting Ridge not until the fall of 2026.
Astrolab and Lunar Outpost received $219 million and $220 million. Companies will develop lunar rovers to work with the crew and offline. Each device must carry two astronauts, reach speeds above 14.5 km / h and pass more than 200 km during the service life. Astrolab will prepare a CLV-1 based on the FLEX platform, Lunar Outpost will create Pegasus based on Eagle. Among the contractors Lunar Outpost are General Motors, Leidos and Goodyear.
The Moon Base plan consists of three stages. The first will last until 2029 and must deliver about four tons of equipment to the moon. The second stage is designed for 2029-2032: NASA wants to increase the volume of deliveries to 60 tons and deploy power systems, communications and residential modules. The third stage will begin in 2032 and should support the long-term presence of people on the surface, the operation of advanced lunar rovers, nuclear power sources and the delivery of up to 38 tons of cargo per year.
Firefly Aerospace will build a device that will deliver MoonFall drones from Earth to lunar orbit. After secession, the devices should sit on their own about a mile of each other. The cost of the contract was not disclosed by NASA.
The head of the program Moon Base Carlos Garcia-Ghalan said that drones will build surface maps with a centimeter resolution, look for subsurface water ice and measure radiation before future manned missions. The devices will be able to jump between several dots and experience long moonlit nights to continue work after the return of sunlight.
NASA admits that the lunar surface has been studied fragmentarily. Apollo and subsequent robotic missions gave a large amount of data, but covered only a small part of the moon. Therefore, the agency is betting not only on the disembrkation of people, but also on logistics, communication, transport and reconnaissance of the area.
The head of the Artemis program, Laurie Glaze, linked the plans of Moon Base with the April flight of Artemis II, which checked the systems for the next missions. NASA is already moving the Artemis IV and Artemis V equipment to the Kennedy Space Center and continues to work with Blue Origin and SpaceX over landing systems for future flights. The launch of Artemis III aims at mid-2027.
The timing of full-fledged permanent residence on the moon NASA has not yet been called. At the second stage, a sealed lunar rover should appear, where astronauts will be able to live and work during short exits outside the landing module. A permanent base will require not one device, but a supply chain, transport, energy and maintenance.
NASA has the funding for the program with three sources: more than $10 billion from the law on budget approval, allocations for the 2026 fiscal year and the presidential budget request for the 2027 fiscal year. The agency is also preparing new contracts for the CLPS program and negotiations with international partners.
NASA is preparing the Moon for a new format of flights: instead of one-time landings, the agency wants to deliver to the surface the details of the future base, lunar rovers, cargo modules and reconnaissance drones. Astronauts Artemis will not only work on the moon, but also collect the first elements of a permanent outpost.
Until 2029, the Moon Base program can include up to 25 missions, including 21 landings. At the first stage, NASA expects to send about four tons of cargo and the first transport systems for crews.
NASA has announced contracts with four companies: Blue Origin, Astrolab, Lunar Outpost and Firefly Aerospace. The orders cover cargo landing missions, two lunar vehicles and a carrier for the MoonFall robotic drones, which are being developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Blue Origin received an order of $188 million and an option for $280.4 million. The company must deliver lunar vehicles to the South Pole of the Moon with the help of an unmanned lander Mark 1. The first mission of the series, Moon Base I, is to send scientific cargo to Shackleton Connecting Ridge not until the fall of 2026.
Astrolab and Lunar Outpost received $219 million and $220 million. Companies will develop lunar rovers to work with the crew and offline. Each device must carry two astronauts, reach speeds above 14.5 km / h and pass more than 200 km during the service life. Astrolab will prepare a CLV-1 based on the FLEX platform, Lunar Outpost will create Pegasus based on Eagle. Among the contractors Lunar Outpost are General Motors, Leidos and Goodyear.
The Moon Base plan consists of three stages. The first will last until 2029 and must deliver about four tons of equipment to the moon. The second stage is designed for 2029-2032: NASA wants to increase the volume of deliveries to 60 tons and deploy power systems, communications and residential modules. The third stage will begin in 2032 and should support the long-term presence of people on the surface, the operation of advanced lunar rovers, nuclear power sources and the delivery of up to 38 tons of cargo per year.
Firefly Aerospace will build a device that will deliver MoonFall drones from Earth to lunar orbit. After secession, the devices should sit on their own about a mile of each other. The cost of the contract was not disclosed by NASA.
The head of the program Moon Base Carlos Garcia-Ghalan said that drones will build surface maps with a centimeter resolution, look for subsurface water ice and measure radiation before future manned missions. The devices will be able to jump between several dots and experience long moonlit nights to continue work after the return of sunlight.
NASA admits that the lunar surface has been studied fragmentarily. Apollo and subsequent robotic missions gave a large amount of data, but covered only a small part of the moon. Therefore, the agency is betting not only on the disembrkation of people, but also on logistics, communication, transport and reconnaissance of the area.
The head of the Artemis program, Laurie Glaze, linked the plans of Moon Base with the April flight of Artemis II, which checked the systems for the next missions. NASA is already moving the Artemis IV and Artemis V equipment to the Kennedy Space Center and continues to work with Blue Origin and SpaceX over landing systems for future flights. The launch of Artemis III aims at mid-2027.
The timing of full-fledged permanent residence on the moon NASA has not yet been called. At the second stage, a sealed lunar rover should appear, where astronauts will be able to live and work during short exits outside the landing module. A permanent base will require not one device, but a supply chain, transport, energy and maintenance.
NASA has the funding for the program with three sources: more than $10 billion from the law on budget approval, allocations for the 2026 fiscal year and the presidential budget request for the 2027 fiscal year. The agency is also preparing new contracts for the CLPS program and negotiations with international partners.
