TLDR
- NASA awarded contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars to four U.S. companies to build lunar rovers, landers, and drones.
- Blue Origin received $188 million, with an option period bringing the total to $280.4 million, to deliver rovers to the moon’s south pole.
- Astrolab got $219 million and Lunar Outpost received $220 million to build the first lunar terrain vehicles.
- Firefly Aerospace will deliver the first drones to the moon.
- All hardware is expected to arrive before the first Artemis astronaut landing, planned for as early as 2028.
NASA is moving fast on its moon base plans, handing out major contracts just weeks after the Artemis II mission completed a historic lunar flyaround in April 2026.
NASA picked Jeff Bezosā Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace and other space firms to send robotic landers, rovers and even drones to the moon as part of the Trump administrationās efforts to jumpstart a lunar base before the end of the decade https://t.co/1CxD0A82EM
— Bloomberg (@business) May 26, 2026
The space agency awarded deals to four American companies on May 26, 2026, as part of the first phase of a planned permanent lunar base near the moon’s south pole.
Who Got the Contracts
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin landed a $188 million contract, with an option period that could push the total to $280.4 million. The company will use its Mark 1 lunar lander to deliver rovers to the lunar surface.
Astrolab received $219 million and Lunar Outpost got $220 million. Both companies will build the lunar terrain vehicles ā essentially moon buggies ā that Blue Origin’s landers will carry to the surface.
Firefly Aerospace, which successfully landed on the moon in 2025, was also awarded a contract to deliver the first drones to the moon.
The drones, called MoonFall, will be stationed around the perimeter of the base. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said they will serve as territory markers and are meant to be respectful of other nations’ equipment that may be nearby.
What the Moon Base Will Look Like
NASA’s moon base program executive Carlos Garcia-Galan described the base as potentially sprawling over hundreds of square miles.
The plan is broken into phases. The first phase focuses on delivering hardware before astronauts land. The second phase, from 2029 into the early 2030s, will build out permanent infrastructure including a power grid.
By the third phase, expected sometime in the 2030s, the base should be ready to house astronauts for extended periods in permanent habitats.
“Then we’ll be able to say, ‘Hey, we’re permanently here and we’re not giving it up,'” Garcia-Galan said.
Artemis Timeline
The Artemis II mission in April 2026 sent four astronauts around the moon, farther into space than any Apollo crew had traveled.
Next up is Artemis III, targeted for mid-2027. That mission will practice docking NASA’s Orion capsule in orbit around Earth with lunar landers being built by Blue Origin and SpaceX.
A crewed lunar landing is planned for as early as 2028.
NASA Administrator Isaacman said the goal of the moon base goes beyond exploration. The agency wants to encourage a lunar economy, support scientific research, and lay the groundwork for a future Mars mission.
“For those waiting patiently, the grand return is close at hand and we will not slow down,” Isaacman said.
Blue Origin’s stock trades around $4.97. According to GuruFocus, the company scores low on financial strength and profitability metrics, though no insider buying or selling has been reported in the past three months.
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