NASA has unveiled plans for three uncrewed Moon missions designed to build the foundation for a permanent human outpost at the lunar South Pole.
The agency made the announcement Tuesday at its headquarters in Washington, alongside new rover contracts and cargo lander updates ahead of crewed Artemis landings planned for 2028.
The three missions are part of NASA’s broader Moon Base initiative. Each mission will test key systems and deliver scientific instruments to the lunar surface before astronauts arrive.
The first, Moon Base I, targets a launch no earlier than fall 2026. It will use Blue Origin’s ‘Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance’ lander to carry two instruments to the Moon. The Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies will examine how thrusters interact with the lunar surface.
The Laser Retroreflective Array will help orbiting spacecraft determine more precise locations. The mission will land on the Shackleton Connecting Ridge to demonstrate capabilities needed for future crewed landings.
NASA’s 3 uncrewed Moon missions set for launch this year
Moon Base II is planned for later this year. The mission will rely on Astrobotic’s Griffin lander to deliver more than 1,100 pounds of cargo, including Astrolab’s FLIP rover. Its main goal is to advance mobility systems that will shape future lunar terrain vehicle operations.
Moon Base III is also targeted for this year. It will carry the first payload selected through NASA’s Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon program.
The anchor investigation, Lunar Vertex, will fly on Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C Trinity lander to study lunar swirls, which are light-colored patches on the Moon’s surface, to better understand surface conditions.
The mission also includes payloads from the European Space Agency and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.
NASA commits $627 million to rovers and cargo landers
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described the Moon Base as humanity’s first outpost on another world and said the program will generate scientific, economic, and technological benefits. He also noted it will help prepare for future crewed missions to Mars.
On the rover front, NASA awarded Astrolab $219 million and Lunar Outpost $220 million to build the first phase of crewed rovers. Astrolab’s vehicle weighs about 2,000 pounds and can exceed 6 mph. Lunar Outpost’s Pegasus rover can operate for up to a year and reach speeds above 9 mph. Both rovers are expected to reach the Moon by 2028.
NASA also awarded Blue Origin $188 million, with an option period worth $280.4 million, to transport the rovers to the lunar South Pole.
Moreover, NASA confirmed that Firefly Aerospace will build the spacecraft for MoonFall, a 2028 mission that will deploy four drones to survey potential astronaut landing sites near the South Pole.
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