NASA awards $590 M to three firms for lunar lander missions

NASA announced contracts worth about $590 million to three U.S. companies—Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines—for four uncrewed lunar lander missions scheduled for late 2028. The awards are part of “Phase 1” of the agency’s $30 billion Moon Base program, which targets a permanent settlement near the lunar south pole.

Astrobotic will receive $297.9 million for two landers, Firefly $144.2 million for one, and Intuitive Machines $148.3 million for another. Each mission will carry scientific payloads such as the SCALPSS stereo‑camera array, a laser retro‑reflector (LRA) and a radiation‑spectrometer, and will test technologies for future crewed operations.

NASA also discussed the possible use of a Perseverance‑derived rover, dubbed PROMISE, to explore the lunar surface. The program faces schedule pressure after Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket explosion, prompting NASA to consider alternative launch options. The initiative is framed as a response to China’s growing lunar ambitions.