NASA picks Blue Origin, other space firms for moon missions

A drone mission targeting launch in 2028 is set to travel from Earth’s orbit to the moon

NASA displays newly unveiled lunar base project models from Blue Origin, Lunar Outpost and other companies during a news conference on updated plans for the agency’s Moon Base initiative for a long-term lunar presence, at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC, US, May 26, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

NASA awarded contracts to space firms including Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Astrolab to send robotic landers, rovers and drones to support the upcoming lunar exploration missions.

The US space agency said on Tuesday it had awarded Astrolab $219 million and Lunar Outpost $220 million to build and deliver lunar terrain vehicles.

Blue Origin was awarded ⁠a $188 million contract to deliver the rovers to the moon's surface using its uncrewed cargo lunar lander, Mark 1.

The contracts are part of NASA's broader Artemis programme, which aims to expand humanity's footprint in space and support future deep-space exploration.

The agency said it also selected Firefly Aerospace to build the spacecraft that ⁠will transport drones from the Earth's orbit to the moon for its MoonFall mission, which is targeted for launch in 2028.

NASA's revised plan for Artemis, which was created ⁠during President Donald Trump's first term, involves putting infrastructure, centered on a moon base, and vehicles on the moon's ⁠surface.

NASA's second Artemis mission launched in April, sending four astronauts around the moon and back as ⁠one of a few precursor missions to the first crewed moon landing since 1972.