NASA Opens $10 Billion Lunar Delivery Framework for Moon Base
NASA established a $10 billion framework for eight aerospace companies to deliver infrastructure to the lunar south pole to support a permanent human outpost by 2032.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced a new Commercial Lunar Payload Services framework at the MAX POWER aerospace expo in Florida, making eight aerospace companies eligible to compete for up to $10 billion in lunar delivery contracts over 10 years. The initiative aims to establish a permanent human outpost at the moon's south pole by 2032, utilizing private partners to deliver scientific equipment and infrastructure before astronauts arrive.
Participating companies include SpaceX, Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, iSpace US, Lockheed Martin Space, Northrop Grumman Space Systems, and Voyager Technologies. As part of the rollout, Blue Origin secured a $94 million contract to deliver the nuclear-powered PROMISE rover by late 2028. NASA also awarded $1.3 billion in transportation task orders to Arrow Science and Technology, Blue Origin, and Impulse Space, while selecting SpaceX for a 2028 demonstration to deploy communications satellites using its Starship rocket.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described the strategy as an iterative campaign to ensure infrastructure is waiting for astronauts on the surface. To support these goals, the agency increased the maximum value of its existing CLPS contract from $2.6 billion to $4.2 billion. Program Executive Carlos García-Galán noted that the agency has consolidated various efforts into a streamlined program to accelerate the development of moon base technology.
