{"id":17018,"date":"2026-05-26T23:03:35","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T15:03:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/nasa-taps-blue-origin-to-deliver-lunar-rovers-for-moon-base-initiative\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T23:03:35","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T15:03:35","slug":"nasa-taps-blue-origin-to-deliver-lunar-rovers-for-moon-base-initiative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/nasa-taps-blue-origin-to-deliver-lunar-rovers-for-moon-base-initiative\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA taps Blue Origin to deliver lunar rovers for Moon Base initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1260\" height=\"709\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/260526-blue-astro-1260x709.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-930543\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/260526-blue-astro-1260x709.jpg 1260w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/260526-blue-astro-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/260526-blue-astro-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/260526-blue-astro.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1260px) 100vw, 1260px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"wp-element-caption\">An artist\u2019s conception shows Blue Origin\u2019s Blue Moon Mark 1 lander lowering an Astrolab rover to the lunar surface. (NASA Illustration)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Jeff Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin space venture has won NASA\u2019s nod to deliver crew-carrying rovers to the lunar surface as part of the space agency\u2019s decade-long plan to create a base near the moon\u2019s south pole.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAmerica is returning to the moon,\u201d NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said today during a news briefing at the space agency\u2019s headquarters in Washington, D.C. \u201cWe are working alongside our many international and commercial partners to leverage the incredible capabilities from commercial industry to build a moon base for all we hope to accomplish in this endeavor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NASA awarded Blue Origin an initial $188 million contract to get its robotic Blue Moon Mark 1 lander ready to deliver lunar terrain vehicles, or LTVs, with an option period worth an additional $280.4 million for two task orders. The option period will be based on Blue Origin\u2019s performance during the initial contract phase, NASA said.<\/p>\n<p>Carlos Garcia-Galan, program manager for NASA\u2019s Moon Base program, said the LTVs will be \u201ca mix between the Apollo lunar roving vehicle and the Mars-style rover.\u201d Each rover will weigh a little less than one metric ton, he said, and will be folded up to fit on Blue Origin\u2019s lander during transit to the moon.<\/p>\n<p>The first LTV is due to be brought to the moon in advance of the Artemis 4 mission\u2019s crewed landing, which is currently scheduled for 2028, Garcia-Galan said.<\/p>\n<p>One of the LTVs will be built by California-based Astrolab, with Seattle-based Interlune serving as a subcontractor. In a LinkedIn post, Interlune said it would work with Astrolab on \u201cmany aspects of the rover development, involving the science of survival in the lunar environment.\u201d The Interlune Research Lab in Texas will develop varieties of simulated moon dirt specifically for testing Astrolab\u2019s moon rover, which has been designated CLV-1.<\/p>\n<p>The other LTV will be Colorado-based Lunar Outpost\u2019s Pegasus rover, which is being developed in partnership with General Motors, Goodyear and Leidos. <\/p>\n<p>Both LTVs are designed to travel at speeds of up to 10 kilometers per hour (6 mph), carrying up to two astronauts on 10-kilometer (6-mile) trips. The rovers could also take on robotic excursions with a maximum range of 200 kilometers (125 miles). Astrolab is receiving a $219 million contract, while Lunar Outpost\u2019s contract is worth $220 million, NASA said.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement posted to X, Kent, Wash.-based Blue Origin said it was proud to support NASA\u2019s plans for a permanent presence in the moon\u2019s south polar region. The company\u2019s CEO, Dave Limp, also gave a shout-out to Isaacman on his social-media account.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSince the beginning, Blue Origin has been committed to Lunar Permanence,\u201d Limp wrote. \u201cThank you, @NASAadmin, for sharing that vision. We\u2019re ready to make it a reality.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>NASA will also develop a fleet of rocket-powered MoonFall drones for reconnaissance and communications. The drones will be built by NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Garcia-Galan said they\u2019d be dropped off at the moon by Texas-based Firefly Aerospace\u2019s Elytra Dark spacecraft. Firefly said its contract for a four-drone delivery is worth $75 million.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Introducing Astrolab\u2019s Crewed Lunar Vehicle (CLV-1), Selected By NASA to Provide Rover for Artemis\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YSuAPKedlVs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1260\" height=\"709\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/lunaroutpost-1260x709.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-930546\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/lunaroutpost-1260x709.jpg 1260w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/lunaroutpost-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/lunaroutpost-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/lunaroutpost.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1260px) 100vw, 1260px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"wp-element-caption\">A davit system on the Blue Moon lander lowers a Lunar Outpost\u2019 Pegasus lander to the lunar surface. (NASA \/ Lunar Outpost Illustration)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/firefly-drones.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-930567\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/firefly-drones.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/firefly-drones-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"wp-element-caption\">Artwork shows the Firefly Elytra Dark space vehicle deploying four rocket-powered drones over the moon. (Firefly Space Illustration)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>NASA\u2019s Moon Base program could get its official kickoff as early as this fall with the launch of Endurance, Blue Origin\u2019s first Blue Moon Mark 1 lander. Endurance, which is currently going through preflight testing, is scheduled to deliver several payloads to the moon\u2019s south polar region \u2014 including a retroreflector system for gauging distances and a camera system for studying how thrusters interact with the moon\u2019s surface. This first Blue Moon mission has been on the schedule for more than a year, but Garcia-Galan said it is now known as Moon Base 1.<\/p>\n<p>The Moon Base 2 mission calls for a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket to deliver Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic\u2019s Griffin lander to the moon later this year. Griffin will be carrying more than 1,100 pounds of cargo. One of the payloads is an Astrolab rover that\u2019s outfitted with an Interlune imaging system capable of surveying the lunar surface for traces of valuable helium-3.<\/p>\n<p>For the Moon Base 3 mission, Intuitive Machines\u2019 Nova-C Trinity lander will fly the first payload selected through a NASA initiative known as Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon, or PRISM. Lunar Vertex will study lunar swirls \u2014 bright spots on the moon\u2019s surface that are thought to be caused by magnetic anomalies. The lander will also carry payloads for the European Space Agency and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese represent the first of more than a dozen missions we expect to announce through the balance of this year, as we return, build the base, and never give up the moon again,\u201d Isaacman said. <\/p>\n<p>Moon Base 1 and the LTV deliveries aren\u2019t the only lunar missions in which Blue Origin is playing a key role. For example, the company\u2019s second Mark 1 lander has been tasked with delivering NASA\u2019s robotic VIPER rover to the lunar surface in late 2027.<\/p>\n<p>Blue Origin is also working on a Blue Moon Mark 2 lunar lander that could carry future Artemis crews to the lunar surface. NASA is aiming to test the Mark 2 and\/or SpaceX\u2019s Starship-based lunar lander next year in low Earth orbit during the Artemis 3 mission.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re already moving forward pretty strongly with both Blue Origin and SpaceX on their lander concepts,\u201d said Lori Glaze, associate administrator for NASA\u2019s Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of trade studies ongoing right now, just to make sure we\u2019ve got the mission designs right and the right objectives for those.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Isaacman said NASA\u2019s strategy called for \u201cleveraging the NASA playbook from the 1960s, figuring out what works and what doesn\u2019t in this epic science of survival.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The announcements that were made today focused on the first phase of NASA\u2019s Moon Base plan, which aims to establish reliable access to the lunar surface and characterize resources at the south polar region, where significant reserves of water ice are thought to exist.<\/p>\n<p>The second phase of the project, scheduled for the 2029-2032 time frame, calls for setting up infrastructure for lunar operations, including energy facilities that rely on solar or nuclear power. During the third phase, NASA and its partners would establish a permanent base.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe envision the moon base to be hundreds of square miles, with different assets all building up to the objective of permanent lunar presence,\u201d Garcia-Galan said.<\/p>\n<p>Isaacman said there are \u201ca lot of great things that will come from having an outpost on the moon,\u201d with the ability to prepare for farther-out missions leading his list.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere will be scientific discoveries,\u201d he said. \u201cLet\u2019s land rovers with radio telescopes to go to the far side moon. Let\u2019s ignite an orbital economy. These are all things that would be nice to have and achieve along the way, but really it is to have an environment where we can work with the water ice and master the skills for where we go next, which is Mars. \u2026 We want to be in an environment where we can learn the skills, so that astronauts can go and plant the Stars and Stripes on Mars someday.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An artist\u2019s conception shows Blue Origin\u2019s Blue Moon Mark 1 lander lowering an Astrolab rover to the lunar surface. (NASA Illustration) Jeff Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin space venture has won NASA\u2019s nod to deliver crew-carrying rovers to the lunar surface as part of the space agency\u2019s decade-long plan to create a base near the moon\u2019s south [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[304,698,1508,509,443,4339,734,625,190],"class_list":["post-17018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-artemis","tag-astrolab","tag-blue-moon","tag-blue-origin","tag-firefly-aerospace","tag-interlune","tag-lunar-outpost","tag-moon","tag-nasa"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17018"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17018"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17018\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}