The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced a new series of contracts and mission developments aimed at advancing its plans for a sustained human presence on the Moon.
The announcements were made on November 7, 2026, during the MAX POWER aerospace expo and air show at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They cover commercial lunar cargo deliveries, robotic exploration, transportation services and infrastructure development.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
NASA announced new Moon Base programme developments on November 7, 2026.
The CLPS 2 framework has a maximum potential value of $10 billion over 10 years.
Eight aerospace companies are eligible to compete for future lunar delivery missions.
NASA is advancing development of the nuclear-powered PROMISE rover.
The rover's launch is targeted for late 2028.
The planned rover mission duration is 18 months.
One of the major announcements is the selection of eight companies for the next phase of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, known as CLPS 2.
The selected companies are Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, ispace US, Lockheed Martin Space, Northrop Grumman Space Systems, SpaceX and Voyager Technologies.
Under the new framework, the companies will be eligible to compete for future missions involving the delivery of scientific instruments, technology demonstrations and infrastructure equipment to the lunar surface.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
NASA's latest announcements represent an important development in the preparation of infrastructure for sustained lunar exploration. The PROMISE rover will investigate the Moon's South Pole, including regions where sunlight is limited and water ice may be present. Its findings could help scientists understand the availability of lunar resources and identify suitable locations for future exploration. The CLPS 2 framework also expands opportunities for commercial aerospace companies to compete for lunar delivery missions. This approach allows NASA to use private-sector capabilities to transport scientific equipment and infrastructure to the Moon. The transportation, communication and power projects are intended to address several practical requirements for longer-duration lunar missions.
The 10-year CLPS 2 framework has a combined maximum potential value of $10 billion. This is a contract ceiling rather than an amount already awarded or spent. Individual missions will be assigned through separate task orders.
NASA has also increased the value of its existing CLPS 1.0 contract from $2.6 billion to $4.2 billion to support the initial phase of its Moon Base objectives. The existing contract will remain in place through November 2028, with an additional five-year period to complete previously awarded deliveries through November 2033.
Nuclear-Powered PROMISE Rover
Another major development is NASA's decision to move forward with the development of PROMISE, short for Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration.
The six-wheeled nuclear-powered rover is designed to explore the Moon's South Pole, examine surface and underground conditions and investigate the potential availability of resources, including water ice.
Its nuclear power system is intended to allow operations during the long lunar night and in permanently shadowed regions where sunlight is limited.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California will manage the mission and develop the rover using a combination of spare flight components and engineering test models originally developed for the Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rovers.
PROMISE will carry a drill designed to collect lunar material from approximately one metre below the surface. It will also use scientific instruments, including spectrometers, temperature and radiation sensors, and cameras to study the lunar environment.
NASA is targeting late 2028 for the rover's launch and planning an 18-month mission.
Blue Origin has received a $94 million base contract to deliver PROMISE to the lunar South Pole using its Mark 1 lander. The agreement includes an additional option worth up to $140 million based on performance, bringing the potential contract value to $234 million.
New Transportation and Lunar Infrastructure Projects
NASA also announced six launch and orbital transportation task orders worth approximately $1.3 billion under its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) programme.
The awards went to Arrow Science and Technology, Blue Origin and Impulse Space. The planned missions include testing navigation and communications around the Moon, transporting the CAPSTONE 02 spacecraft and supporting the deployment of MoonFall drones to survey potential exploration areas.
In another development, NASA selected SpaceX to demonstrate a lunar communications satellite deployment using its Starship vehicle in 2028.
The agency also selected Honeybee Robotics, Redwire and Yank Technologies to develop components for a proposed lunar power and communications system known as miniCAST.
These projects are intended to help establish the transportation, communication and power capabilities needed for future lunar exploration.
The latest announcements form part of NASA's broader effort to develop lunar infrastructure through cooperation with commercial aerospace companies and scientific organisations.
