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NASA awards nearly $600 million in new contracts for moon base lunar landers

NASA barrels ahead with moon base plans, doling out nearly $600 million in new contractsBuilding NASA's moon base starts with these lunar lander missions

NASA awards nearly $600 million in new contracts to three companies for lunar landers to build a moon base. The agency selected Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, and a third partner to transport cargo and rovers to the lunar surface in 2026.

This funding marks a major step in establishing a permanent US presence on the moon.

  • The first successful US landing on the moon occurred in 1969 with the Apollo 11 mission.
  • Lunar landers must navigate the moon's extreme temperature shifts ranging from -173 to 127 degrees Celsius.
  • The planned moon base aims to support research that could help future missions to Mars.
NASA awards nearly $600 million in new contracts for moon base lunar landers | Implica