NASA has selected three commercial space firms to deliver scientific payloads to the lunar surface in late 2028, awarding contracts that together total almost $600 million as part of the agency’s push to mature infrastructure for a permanent Moon base.
Commercial partners and contract awards
The agency tapped Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines to carry out four flights under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) effort. Astrobotic will complete two deliveries while Firefly and Intuitive Machines will each conduct one mission. The contract values are:
| Company | Award (USD) | Planned deliveries |
|---|---|---|
| Astrobotic | $297.9 million | 2 |
| Firefly Aerospace | $144.2 million | 1 |
| Intuitive Machines | $148.3 million | 1 |
Science payloads and program goals
All four flights will carry an identical set of three instruments aimed at:
- improving lunar navigation;
- characterizing dust produced during landings; and
- mapping radiation on the lunar surface.
NASA said the awards will let the agency increase the pace of deliveries to the surface by using upgraded versions of landers that already have flown, enabling more rapid learning and iteration as plans for a long-term outpost progress.
"These new awards to our commercial partners, totaling nearly $600 million to land more missions on the Moon with science payloads, demonstrate our commitment to accelerating our effort to build a long-term presence on the lunar surface," said Lori Glaze, associate administrator for the Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
Agency officials described the effort as part of building a “proving ground” for Moon Base operations. As NASA increases the ordering cadence and launch opportunities, managers expect to gain experience that will inform future surface systems and infrastructure decisions.
"Accelerating our Moon mission ordering cadence and launch opportunities enable us to move quickly to learn, iterate, and improve," said Ryan Stephan, NASA's Moon Base acting director of cargo landers.
Context and next steps
The new awards bring the number of planned lunar surface deliveries by multiple commercial providers to 17. NASA also flagged additional opportunities for U.S. industry to contribute to future Moon Base infrastructure, including consideration of proposals such as a polar rover concept referred to as PROMISE (Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration).
All four missions are currently scheduled for late 2028 and will fly under the CLPS framework, which the agency uses to procure commercial cargo landings to advance scientific objectives and pave the way for sustained human operations on the Moon.
The contracts and mission plans mark the latest step in a strategy that leans on commercial partners to deliver hardware and scientific data while NASA focuses on broader systems and human exploration capabilities. The coming flights will be watched closely by planners and researchers seeking to validate technologies and operational concepts needed for a future lunar base.
