NASA taps private firms for four new Moon missions by 2028

NASA is preparing for a significant expansion of its lunar exploration efforts by awarding contracts to three private companies for four new missions to the Moon. Scheduled to launch by the end of 2028, these missions are a crucial part of NASA's Moon Base program, which aims to establish the first permanent human presence on a celestial body beyond Earth.

Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, and Intuitive Machines have been chosen to deliver scientific payloads to the lunar surface. Associate Administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Lori Glaze, stated that the new contracts, valued at nearly $600 million, demonstrate NASA's commitment to accelerating its long-term lunar presence. "This shows our commitment to accelerating our efforts to build a long-term presence on the lunar surface, while also providing more opportunities to develop the capabilities we need to thrive there," Glaze said in a written statement on June 30, 2026.

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This shows our commitment to accelerating our efforts to build a long-term presence on the lunar surface, while also providing more opportunities to develop the capabilities we need to thrive there.

Astrobotic secured contracts worth $297.9 million for two missions, while Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines each received contracts worth $144.2 million and $148.3 million, respectively, for one mission each. These missions fall under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, a cornerstone of the Moon Base development. The companies will utilize updated designs for their landers, a strategy expected to increase mission frequency and expedite the development of lunar landing technologies.

NASA views this approach as creating a "testing ground for Moon Base operations," according to Ryan Stephan, NASA's Acting Moon Base Cargo Lander Director. He emphasized that increasing the frequency of lunar missions and launch opportunities will allow for faster learning, refinement, and capability enhancement. Beyond these initial missions, NASA is also exploring opportunities for U.S. industries to participate further, including the potential deployment of the PROMISE hybrid rover and seeking proposals for technology demonstrations and additional scientific instruments.

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We are building a testing ground for Moon Base operations. Increasing the frequency of mission orders and launch opportunities to the Moon allows us to move faster to learn, make refinements, and continue to improve capabilities.