NASA Awards Contracts Worth Billions for Moon Base Cargo Landers, Launch Services, and a Nuclear Rover

What was announced

NASA unveiled multiple contracts and technical plans at the MAX POWER aerospace expo at Kennedy Space Center. The agency established the CLPS 2 framework with a maximum value of $10 billion, selecting eight companies to bid on future commercial delivery contracts. NASA also raised the spending ceiling on its original CLPS 1.0 contract from $2.6 billion to $4.2 billion.

The agency selected Blue Origin to land a new nuclear-powered rover, PROMISE, at the Moon's South Pole in late 2028. Blue Origin receives a $94 million base contract with a performance option worth an additional $140 million. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will build the six-wheeled rover using spare parts and design models from the Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rovers.

NASA also awarded $1.3 billion across six task orders under its VADR contract to Arrow Science and Technology, Blue Origin, and Impulse Space. These orders cover cargo integration, deep-space navigation tests with the CAPSTONE 02 spacecraft, and scouting missions using MoonFall drones. Additionally, SpaceX received a task order to launch communications satellites into cislunar space aboard a Starship in 2028. For surface power, NASA selected Honeybee Robotics, Redwire, and Yank Technologies to supply components for a solar and wireless power tower called miniCAST.

What it means

By purchasing commercial services, the agency avoids building every lander and rocket itself. Using spare hardware from past Mars missions for the PROMISE rover allows the agency to lower costs and speed up construction. The rover's nuclear power source enables it to explore cold, dark craters at the South Pole where solar panels cannot operate.

These contracts create a commercial freight and power network between Earth and the lunar surface. Private landers and orbital transfer vehicles will deliver gear before astronauts land, providing power, communications, and mapping data in advance.

What the announcement does not tell us

The release does not disclose the exact total cost to build the PROMISE rover itself, stating only the delivery contract value. NASA also did not specify exact launch dates for the individual VADR task orders or the miniCAST hardware delivery. While NASA mentioned a planned 2027 solicitation for integrated power systems, it did not state when human crewed landings will occur.