NASA advances lunar base plans with technology collaborations and commercial lander contracts

On June 26‑30, 2026 NASA announced the selection of 41 unfunded technology proposals from 37 U.S. companies under its Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity (ACO) program. The collaborations, lasting 12‑24 months, will address power generation, dust mitigation, autonomous navigation, orbital servicing, propulsion, thermal control, manufacturing and other capabilities needed for long‑duration lunar activity and eventual human missions to Mars. Companies such as Lockheed Martin, Kall Morris and Moonprint Solutions will work with NASA resources—valued at about $30 million—while contributing roughly $32 million of their own assets.

In parallel, NASA awarded nearly $600 million to three commercial space firms—Astrobotic ($297.9 M for two deliveries), Firefly Aerospace ($144.2 M), and Intuitive Machines ($148.3 M)—for four lunar missions slated for the late 2020s under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) and Moon Base Program. These missions will deliver science instruments, test hardware such as the PROMISE rover concept, and advance infrastructure like communication relays, all aimed at establishing a permanent Moon outpost and reducing reliance on Earth support for future Mars expeditions.