NASA announces $10b. contract for lunar cargo lander in push toward eventual long-term moon base

Among the companies in the running for the contract were Elon Musk's SpaceX, Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, and Northrop Grumman Space Systems, a company which also sells weapons to Israel.

NASA announced a new series of investments and initiatives on Saturday to advance its technological capabilities with the eventual goal of establishing a long-term base on the moon, including a $10 billion contract for a cargo lander network which several companies will compete for.

Among the companies in the running for the contract were Elon Musk's SpaceX, Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, and Northrop Grumman Space Systems, a company which also sells weapons to Israel. Six other companies are also competing.

The initiative for which the companies are eligible is the second phase of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS). Over the course of the 10-year framework, companies are expected to provide delivery services to the moon, including managing, building, and operating landers for NASA technology and infrastructure.

Several other projects and developments related to the eventual sustained lunar presence are in the works, NASA announced at the MAX POWER aerospace expo and air show.

Among these projects are a nuclear-powered moon rover called PROMISE (Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration), a Mini-Communications and Solar Tower (miniCAST), and several launch order contracts with various space transport companies for multiple different mission types.

NASA head: When astronauts return to moon, start of lunar base will be there

“We are building the Moon Base mission by mission,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said. 

“Today’s announcements expand nearly every part of that campaign, using the playbook that carried NASA through its greatest eras: fly often, learn, apply those lessons, and get more better and more capable with every mission. When our astronauts return to the moon, they will arrive with the first elements of the Moon Base already waiting for them on the surface.”

Carlos García-Galán, manager of the Moon Base Program, said that NASA had made "incredible strides" towards its goal of establishing a permanent lunar outpost.

“We’ve consolidated numerous efforts into a streamlined program, evolving our human exploration architecture into an iterative and sustained campaign for Moon Base technology development and implementation," he said. "Most importantly, we’ve taken action, awarding new contracts and forging new partnerships to accelerate development.”