NASA has selected three companies to conduct four lunar landings in late 2028 under its Moon Base Program. The missions aim to support long-term human presence on the Moon by delivering scientific instruments and testing key technologies.
The agency announced the selections on June 30, awarding contracts totaling nearly $600 million to Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, and Intuitive Machines. Astrobotic will handle two deliveries for $297.9 million, while Firefly Aerospace receives $144.2 million and Intuitive Machines $148.3 million for one mission each.
All flights fall under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. Each mission will carry three NASA science instruments to study landing dust effects, improve navigation with laser retroreflectors, and monitor radiation levels.
Lori Glaze, associate administrator for the Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate, said the awards demonstrate commitment to building a sustained lunar presence. Additional plans include proposals for a polar rover and a lunar communication relay constellation.
NASA currently has 17 lunar surface deliveries planned through commercial providers to gather data for future operations.