NASA Awards Contracts for Lunar Base Development Ahead of Artemis Missions

NASA has awarded contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars to four American companies for the first phase of developing a lunar base, including landers, rovers, and drones. These components are intended to be on the Moon before the Artemis-2 lunar flight and the planned human landing in early 2028. The initiative aims to lay the groundwork for future human habitation and research, with subsequent phases focusing on permanent infrastructure and housing structures by 2030 and the 2030s, respectively.