Blue Origin Surges to Lead NASA’s Moon Base, SpaceX Not First to the Pole

NASA has mapped a phased plan to establish a permanent lunar outpost near the Moon’s South Pole through 2029, with Moon Base I as the first dedicated mission led by Blue Origin using the Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander, launching no earlier than fall 2026. This marks a notable shift in NASA’s commercial-lunar strategy, giving Blue Origin an early leadership role while SpaceX remains a major Artemis partner but not the first Moon Base mission. The effort envisions dozens of robotic missions, cargo landers, and eventually habitats as the foundation for a sustained lunar presence.