NASA to conduct 20-plus robotic Moon landings through 2029 for lunar base

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NASA to conduct 20-plus robotic Moon landings through 2029 for lunar base

NASA will conduct more than 20 robotic Moon landings through 2029 to build infrastructure for its Moon Base at the lunar south pole. Commercial partners Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, and Voyager Lunar Systems will provide landers for cargo delivery missions through 2028. Upcoming missions may also explore the Moon's far side and a mysterious magnetic lunar swirl.

Moon Base Architecture

Phase I of NASA's Moon Base plan runs through 2029 and calls for more than twenty robotic landings. Each mission is designed to build on previous flights by improving precision landing, lunar communications, rover operations, power systems, and survival technology for extreme lunar conditions. NASA released a Moon Base video update showing progress by four commercial partners. The outpost near the Moon's South Pole is intended to support science, technology development, and eventually human operations.

Commercial Lander Partners

Blue Origin is moving its Blue Moon MK1 lander through integrated testing before a planned delivery mission named Endurance. Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, and Voyager Lunar Systems are preparing landers for deliveries through 2028. These spacecraft are expected to carry key infrastructure and logistics for future Moon Base operations. Regular cargo deliveries through NASA's CLPS initiative are intended to establish a reliable lunar supply chain.

Lunar Science Targets

Upcoming missions could explore the Moon's far side and a mysterious magnetic lunar swirl. Robotic spacecraft will deliver scientific instruments to study conditions on and around the Moon before astronauts arrive. They will also test new technologies and begin placing infrastructure needed for future human habitation. These flights are part of NASA's campaign of more than 20 robotic landings through 2029.

What's Next

Blue Origin's Endurance flight is expected to introduce a new class of commercial lander capable of carrying large payloads, though NASA has not specified its launch date in the latest update. It remains unclear which of the more than 20 robotic landings will first target the Moon's far side or the magnetic lunar swirl.

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NASA to conduct 20-plus robotic Moon landings through 2029 for lunar base

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Science

NASA to send four Moon missions by late 2028 for base

NASA has awarded nearly $600 million for four commercial Moon landings planned for late 2028. Each mission will carry the same trio of science instruments to improve navigation, study lunar dust, and map radiation. The agency also unveiled plans for rovers, satellites, and cargo missions to support a permanent lunar base.

Technology

NASA to Test Cislunar Docking with CAPSTONE 02 Mission in 2027

NASA has awarded Advanced Space a contract for the CAPSTONE 02 mission, scheduled to launch in 2027 to test formation flights and docking in cislunar space. The twin satellites, each under 900 pounds, will practice techniques essential for future crewed lunar landings. The mission follows the initial CAPSTONE demonstration that used two microwave-sized spacecraft to navigate the Earth-Moon environment.

Finance

NASA prepares Gateway lunar spaceport to manage Moon traffic

NASA is developing Gateway, the first lunar spaceport, to serve as a staging hub for astronauts, cargo ships, and lunar landers. The station will operate on a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit, passing about 1,600 km from the Moon's north pole and swinging out to nearly 64,000 km. Engineers from Texas A&M University, NASA, and Purdue University have created a traffic management system to prevent spacecraft collisions near the station.

Technology

NASA details $30 bln lunar base plan, awards $600 mln to firms

NASA has detailed its plan for a $30 billion permanent lunar base, awarding nearly $600 million to Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, and Intuitive Machines for infrastructure development. The project moves from concept to implementation, with robotic missions to the Moon's South Pole scheduled before end-2028.

NASA to conduct 20-plus robotic Moon landings through 2029 for lunar base

Moon Base Architecture

Commercial Lander Partners

Lunar Science Targets

What's Next

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