NASA has signed agreements with three private companies to achieve its goal of establishing a permanent settlement on the lunar surface. At a press conference, it was announced that Astrobotic, Firefly and Intuitive Machines will receive a total of $590 million for transporting scientific equipment and cargo.
First phase to last until 2028
Carlos Garcia-Galan, executive director of the moon base program, stated that the agreements are part of the "first phase." This phase is planned to continue until 2028 and is expected to be completed with a budget of $10 billion. The phase aims to deliver landing vehicles, rockets, exploration robots and other logistical elements to the moon.
Later phases, covering the period after 2030, envision the construction of the first pressurized living modules on the lunar surface and the installation of power generators.
Explosion at Blue Origin complicates schedule
Operational setbacks with private partners were also addressed. An unmanned New Glenn rocket belonging to the space company Blue Origin, owned by American businessman Jeff Bezos, exploded on the launch pad in May. It was stated that this incident jeopardized the launch schedule of the large robotic lander Blue Moon, which the company planned to send to the moon's south pole this year.
NASA official Garcia-Galan said they are exploring alternative options to launch Blue Moon on another carrier rocket if necessary. The agency's head, Jared Isaacman, previously emphasized in a statement that they would actively support their private partners in overcoming obstacles and would not just watch developments from the sidelines.
$30 billion budget and political support
The total cost of the massive project is expected to reach $30 billion. This sum constitutes a critical component of the Artemis program, on which $100 billion has been spent to date. A test flight to the moon was conducted in April as part of the program.
The US Congress fully supports the project as it seeks to maintain technological superiority in the ongoing space race with China. Meanwhile, although the Trump administration has proposed reducing NASA's overall science budget by about 50 percent, it aims to increase the funding allocated for the moon base with the goal of "establishing US dominance."
Gateway station shelved
In an effort to use financial resources efficiently, NASA surprised many in March by postponing the Gateway space station project, which was planned for construction in lunar orbit. The agency cited that directing resources directly to facilities on the lunar surface, rather than orbital infrastructure, would be more efficient.
