NASA taps private firms for Moon tech and studies rover deployment to lunar south pole

NASA announced the selection of 41 proposals from 37 private companies under its Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity (ACO) program to develop technologies that support long‑term human presence on the Moon and future missions to Mars. The chosen projects span lunar transportation, surface operations and infrastructure, and include work such as Lockheed Martin’s compact power source for shadowed lunar regions, Kall Morris Inc.’s orbital logistics module that can attach payloads with a non‑destructive adhesive, and Moonprint Solutions’ flexible dust‑shielding covers for equipment.

In a related development, NASA is evaluating the use of an engineering model of the Perseverance rover, dubbed “Promise,” for exploration of the Moon’s south pole. The rover would be equipped with a radio‑isotope thermoelectric generator using plutonium‑238 to operate through the long lunar night. Potential launch options include Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander or SpaceX’s Starship. The project aims to accelerate the construction of a permanent lunar base by repurposing existing hardware and existing plutonium supplies.