NASA Expands Moon Base with Four More Lander Missions and New Rover Plans

NASA awards nearly $600 million to Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, and Firefly Aerospace to land four additional Moon Base missions by late 2028 under CLPS, delivering three NASA science payloads (SCALPSS, LRA, LETS) to study lunar dust, navigation, and radiation as part of building sustained lunar operations. The agency also previews new opportunities, including the PROMISE rover concept for surface characterization, plus potential demos and a lunar relay constellation to enable broader exploration and future crewed missions.