LOS ANGELES, June 30 (Xinhua) -- NASA announced Tuesday the selection of three companies to carry out four new lunar missions in late 2028 as part of its Moon Base Program.
The three companies -- Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines -- will deliver NASA science payloads to the lunar surface as the agency works toward establishing its first outpost on another celestial body.
According to NASA, Astrobotic has been awarded 297.9 million U.S. dollars for two deliveries, while Firefly Aerospace will receive 144.2 million dollars and Intuitive Machines 148.3 million dollars, each for one delivery. Each mission will use upgraded versions of previously flown lunar lander designs to support increased mission cadence.
Each delivery will carry three NASA payloads to the lunar surface, including Stereo Camera for Lunar Plume Surface Studies, Laser Retroreflector Array, and Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer.
NASA said the newly announced awards will play a critical role in establishing the infrastructure for lunar surface operations.
"By flying the same science instruments on multiple landers, we will better understand potential hazards during landing and build out a global network of environmental data and location markers on the Moon," said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration at NASA Science Mission Directorate.
NASA is advancing the Moon Base program, a long-term lunar exploration and infrastructure initiative designed to enable sustained human presence and expanded scientific and commercial activity on the lunar surface. ■
