NASA has selected eight companies, including SpaceX, Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin, to compete for up to $10 billion in contracts to transport equipment and infrastructure to the moon as part of its effort to establish a permanent lunar outpost, Fortune reports.
Announced Nov. 7, the awards are intended to support NASA’s plans to return astronauts to the moon and eventually create a base where they can live, work and conduct research. The agency plans to begin robotic exploration of the moon’s south pole in 2029 to identify potential locations, followed by development of power systems, cargo transportation and communications networks between 2029 and 2032.
The eight companies selected through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program will be eligible to compete for delivery missions over the next decade. NASA has also awarded Blue Origin, Impulse Space and Arrow Science and Technology a combined $1.3 billion for projects involving lunar communications, cargo transportation and surface exploration.
SpaceX was separately selected to launch satellites aboard its Starship vehicle in 2028 to test communications technology for future lunar operations. While NASA’s primary goal is establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon, the contracts could also advance private sector ambitions to develop a lunar economy.
In its initial public offering filing, SpaceX outlined plans to build factories on the moon that would use locally sourced materials to manufacture artificial intelligence satellites, potentially reducing reliance on Earth-based resources and energy-intensive data centers. The company also envisions mining lunar minerals and using electromagnetic technology to launch satellites from the moon, positioning it as a potential center for space-based manufacturing and computing.
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