NASA has selected Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origin to carry out the first of three planned uncrewed lunar missions aimed at preparing for the construction of a moon base. In an official announcement, NASA said the missions, planned for 2026, are part of a broader effort to establish a long-term human presence on the moon. The US space agency said the project could eventually lead to a semi-permanent moon base as part of the Artemis program. The announcement also highlights growing competition between Blue Origin and SpaceX in lunar exploration and space missions.
NASA Plans Moon Base Missions
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman announced the plans during a press conference in Washington DC. He said the three uncrewed missions scheduled for 2026 would be followed by more than a dozen future missions to test technology, landers and scientific systems. "People are looking up again, believing in big things again, and paying attention as America returns to the moon again, and this time to stay," Isaacman said.
NASA said Blue Origin will receive $230.4 million to support each of its first two missions, although much of the project funding will come from the company itself. The first mission, called "Moon Base One," could launch as early as fall this year. Blue Origin's Endurance cargo lander will carry scientific payloads to the moon's south pole region. Jared Isaacman said the mission would help "demonstrate critical capabilities that reduce risk for the human landing system missions." Blue Origin and SpaceX are both competing to provide crew landers for future Artemis missions, including the planned return of astronauts to the moon in 2028 under Artemis IV.
NASA also announced smaller contracts for companies involved in lunar projects, including Lunar Outpost and Firefly Aerospace.
According to NASA, the moon base project is part of a broader US strategy to expand space exploration, strengthen technology development and prepare for future missions to Mars. The agency's new moon base website says an operational lunar base could be established between 2029 and 2032, followed by a semi-permanent human presence later.
